


Dangan Ronpa: Mega Despair Fever!

by garlicpolicing



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dangan Ronpa - Freeform, Despair, F/F, F/M, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fangan Ronpa, Gen, Hope, Hope vs. Despair, M/M, Memory Loss, Murder Mystery, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, Post-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Pre-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Reader-Interactive, Violence, Western Name Order, Westernization, monobear - Freeform, monokuma - Freeform, yeah im both ashamed and excited, yep i totally made a fangan ronpa in the year 2017 please kill me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-02-06 01:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 41
Words: 150,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12806268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/garlicpolicing/pseuds/garlicpolicing
Summary: Sixteen talented students wake up at a Talent Boot Camp with no recollection of being signed up. They were supposed to go to Hope's Peak Academy in just a few months... What's going on? And why is a little black and white bear telling them to kill each other?Can Sen Oshiro, Ultimate Solemniser, survive, and crack the case as to why they were even sent there in the first place?(A Fangan Ronpa)Also! Please, please, please! If you read this: Feel free to join my Discord! (https://discord.gg/U3cuhBy)





	1. Prologue: Hello Camp Despair

**Prologue - Hello Camp Despair**

It started as a joke. A friend sent me a link to a website where you pay 1200 yen to be legally ordained as a minister. My uncle was getting married in the fall, and I offered to be the one to marry he and his wife. It was fun to be the one to start their life together.

And then he told friends. I married them. I married their friends. I married their friends’ friends. Word got out, and by my third month with the license, I was booked up for the rest of the year by every kind of person: world famous to town nobody.

I don’t know why. I’m ordinary. There’s nothing special about me. I’m just a highschool girl who had 1200 yen to spend on a thursday night.

It felt like a dream when Hope’s Peak Academy scouted me out. Super High School Level Solemniser, they called it. My mom and dad refused to let me say no, in fact, they said yes for me. I never thought I had a talent, but if the school of the future thought I did… then… So be it.

My name is Sen Oshiro, and I am the Super High School Level Solemniser.

 

A loud alarm chimed from the bedside table. It was an instinct to reach over the left side of my bed and smack it off, but when my left hand reached out, I smacked a wall.

I thought, maybe I was sleeping backwards, I tend to toss and turn on my bed, so it was a possibility, but when I turned over, I was confronted with the fact that I wasn’t even in my room. This startled me up.

The room was plain, white walls, pink rug on a hardwood floor, a closet and a mirror. There was an ajar door in the corner that led to a cramped bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower. I wasn’t too sure what to make of where I was. I could’ve sworn I went to bed in my own bed the previous night… In fact, I remember being on my laptop, video chatting with a friend who was thinking about applying to the reserve course.

My first day of school at Hope’s Peak Academy was in a month. I used to count down the days with a calendar. With such little time left, why did I find myself in a mysterious place?

I tiptoed out of bed and peeked around the room. On the desk by the closet was a small tablet. I clicked it on. Right there, on the lit up screen was a photo of me, smiling. It said _Sen Oshiro, Super High School Level Solemniser - Hope’s Peak Talent Boot Camp._

 _Oh. I don’t remember signing up for a boot camp. Maybe my dad drove me here while I was sleeping._ I remember thinking. My dad was definitely the type to do that. He wasn’t one for goodbyes or mushy feelings. So to drop me off while I was tired and disoriented was mostly his style. But I felt more at ease knowing that I was finally at the front door of my future: Hope’s Peak Acade- er, Talent Boot Camp.

Inside the closet were copies and copies of the uniform I was to wear. I threw one on, put on my socks and shoes, and headed out the door.

What I was confronted by, I did not expect. My room, the one I woke up in, was a literal log cabin on the outside, with a green door that had by last name painted on it: Oshiro.

There were seven other cabins in a line with mine, facing eight cabins perpendicularly. Between the two rows were park benches on dirt floors. The cabin across from mine had a grey blue door, but it was too far to make out the name.

I looked at the cabins in the same row as mine, and made eye contact with a girl with dark red hair. She stared at me, not breaking the eye contact. I backed down before she did. When I looked back up, she was heading down the stairs of her porch.

The sky blue door of the cabin next to me opened, and out came a girl with short, bright orange hair. She was still in her pajamas. She peeked, almost childishly, and then said, “Camp?”

“I guess,” I said, walking to the part of my porch that was closest to her, “Do you not remember signing up?”

“No,” she shook her head and yawned, “I just woke up in my room, and it- Well, it wasn’t my room.”

“Same thing happened to me,” I placed my knuckle against my chin, thinking, “I wonder if everyone else feels that way.

She stretched a good stretch, groaning as a yawn left her body, “Maybe this place is a secret, so we had to be sleeping to get in.”

I chuckled, and she giggled back. She leaned over her porch and held out her hand, “My name is Cho Kakawa, I’m the Super High School Level Stewardess!”  
  
I leaned over my porch and reached for her hand, “I’m Sen Oshiro, and I’m the Super High School Level Solemniser.”

“Solemniser?” she quirked an eyebrow.

“I marry people,” I explained, “I’m the girl that says ‘You may kiss the bride’.”

“Oh!” she smiled and held my hand with both of hers, “You’re so cute!”

I smiled slightly, “Uh, thanks.”

She suddenly let go and backed off, “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m super touchy. It’s a bad habit.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine!” I tried to comfort her, “Just caught me off guard is all.”

She nodded at me, “Right. I’m gonna… I’m gonna go put clothes on. See you, Sen-O!”

She headed back inside.

I headed down the steps of my porch and looked around. At the center of the wide dirt path where all the picnic tables were was a large post with wooden arrows jutting out and pointing in different directions. They pointed to places like dock or mess hall or bathrooms, just as any camp would go. A deep voice called out from behind me, “ _Sick_ , they’ve got a main stage!”

I jumped slightly, and turned around. A tall, lanky man in bright green clothing and even brighter green hair was standing behind me. He wore a pink sweatband across his forehead and pink headphones around his neck. On his upper lip was a pencil thin, black moustache. He stood sort of slouched, and took a long look at me, “A main stage and cute girls, think they’ll let me break it down?” He shot me a wink.

Trying to shake off the queasy feeling rising in my stomach, I asked him, “Do you remember signing up for Talent Boot Camp?”

“Nah,” he dug in his ear with his pinky, “but I do all sorts of shit that I don’t remember. One time, I was so tired after DJing a 48-hour party, but I was hungry, so I went to make dinner, and- Well, long story short, I ate a flip flop. The whole thing.”

_The whole thing…?_

“How did you know you ate it if you don’t remember?” I asked, trying not to sound condescending.

“My older brother filmed it!”

_And he just let it happen?_

“That’s… Okay. Well, anyways, my name is Sen Oshiro, I’m the Super High School Level Solemniser.”

“Whoa, I didn’t know there was a Super High School level for butt stuff,” he flicked whatever earwax was on his pinky and heartily shook my hand.

“No not sodo- It means I do weddings. I marry people to one another.”

“Oh, shit? My bad. That’s tight too I guess. The names Azumamaro Mori, I’m Super High School Level Disc Jockey. Or, you know,” he put his hand on the side of his mouth and shouted loud and proud, “ _Deeeeeejaaaaay! DJ Green Rhythm in the house!"_  
  
“A DJ, that’s super cool,” I nodded.

He said, “Yeah, call for DJ Green Rhythm if you need me.”

“I’m not gonna do that,” I laughed.

He laughed and gave me a firm pat on the shoulder, “Nah, I’m playin’, I’m playin’. But for reals tho, call me Zuzu. Everyone does. I don’t even respond to Azumamaro anymore.”

“Alright, I can do that,” I smiled.

He put his hands on his headphones and said, “I’ma go check out that mainstage, explore a lil’. Catch you later Sen.” He placed the headphones over his ears and rhythmically walked in the direction of the main stage.

Zuzu was right though, it’d be smart to check things out.

I headed in the direction of the mess hall, both because my stomach was rumbling and I thought I might catch someone there.

I was correct in thinking so, because outside the building was a skinny guy with bright pink hair holding up a cell phone. He took a look at me and said, “Hey, dollface, you got bars?”

I looked around to check if he was talking to anyone else.

“No, you, with the glasses and the sad hair, I’m talkin’ to you!”

There wasn’t anyone around me.

“Uh, I couldn’t find my cell phone,” I said. I didn’t necessarily look for it, but it wasn’t on my bedside table.

“I _need_ to get ahold of _someone_ . There’s been a mistake.”

“Did you not sign up either?”

His look softened, “I don’t think anyone did. The kids I talked to say they don’t even remember coming here, and I’m on the same boat.”

“Me too.”

He pouted, “How come none of you camp kids sleep with your phones on you.”

“And you do?”

“My phone is always in my pocket sweetheart,” he raised a pierced eyebrow, “You never know when someone’s having an emergency.”

“Oh, are you like Super High School Level EMT?”

He laughed a loud _ha_ , before shaking his head, “No, that’s cute. I’m Super High School Level Hair Artist, Shun Nishimura.”  
  
“Oh, a hair emergency seems a little underwhelming to have to always have your phone on you.”

He shot me a sideways glance, “That’s because you’ve delved so deep into hair nightmare that’cha can’t remember how good it feels to have good hair. Or did you even know in the first place?”

“I-”

“Who are you, anyways? Super High School Level Sad Hair?”

“Super High School Level Solemniser, I marry people to each other.”

“Oh,” he scowled, “Well… That’s not as bad as sad hair. What can I call you?”

“Oh, my name’s Sen Oshiro.”

“And what’cha lookin’ for babydoll?”

“Don’t,” I crossed my arms, “call me babydoll.”

“Sen-O!” a voice called out from behind me, “Sen-O!” It was Cho Kakawa.

I turned around and Shun raised an eyebrow, “Who’s that winged-hair dream?”

She caught up to us. I introduced them. He kissed her hand, and she instantly turned green. She discarded her hand and wiped it on her shirt. She looked at me and asked, “Did you get to ask anyone else?”

“Uh, only two people so far, but Nishimura here said that everyone he spoke to didn’t sign up.”

“Yeah, there’s like ten kids inside if you’re so curious. I’m gonna go check the camp for any signal.”

I headed inside the mess hall with Cho, and before me was a room full of ultimates sitting at a long table set for sixteen. She and I ended up sitting next to one another at the dead center of the table.

Around us people were having little conversations and eating good-smelling breakfast. There was a framed needlepoint sign on the wall that said: _Help yourself to the kitchen. Mess Hall Open from 6 AM - 11 PM._

A tall woman with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail approached us. Her stance was warm and her demeanor was friendly. “There’s lots of food in the kitchen ladies, want me to grab you anything?”

“Oh, uh, it’s okay,” I shook my head, “I can get myself something.”

“Nonsense! I’m here to serve,” she said, and then snorted laughter, “Oh, jeez, my bad. My name is Ami Uchida, I’m the Super High School Level Waitress.”  
  
She slipped her thumbs in the belt loops of her shorts and said, “Some miso with tofu and vegetables have already been made, as well as some white rice. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds yummy,” Cho smiled.

“That’d be great, thank you Miss Uchida,” I said.

“Call me Ami,” she put a hand on my shoulder, “What are your names ladies?”

“I’m Cho Kakawa,” Cho said, “Super High School Level Stewardess.”

“And I’m Sen Oshiro,” I said, “Super High School Level Solemniser.”

“She marries people!” Cho butted in.

Ami pointed at Cho and said, “Kakawa Cho, best stewardess, you know,” then at me, “Oshiro Sen, her marriages never end,” then she tapped the side of her head, “It’s locked in tight, I’ll never forget. Let me go get you your food.”

Cho sighed dreamily as she walked away.

“She did it to everyone, says the last names first, and makes a little rhyme.,” the guy sitting across from Cho said, “She pointed at me and said Nakano Takumi, dives deep like a fishy.”

“That’s cute! I love it!” Cho said excitedly.

“‘Nakano Takumi, dives deep like a fishy’? So what’s your talent?” I asked.

“I’m the Super High School Level Diver,” he smiled, “I do free dive off a diving board. Not deepwater drives. So Miss Kawaka, and Miss Oshiro?”  
  
“You got it,” I nodded.

He clapped his hand to the person beside him, “This is Hibiki.”

Hibiki looked up from his food, “Oh, hi. I’m Hibiki Ueno, Super High School Level Podcaster.”  
  
“Podcaster!” I gasped. I always thought that would be fun to do, but I was never aware there’d be a talent for it, “What podcasts do you do?”

“I do _We’d Rather, Would You?, Hideo Games, Hit the Moon-_ ”

“ _Hit the Moon_ !” I exclaimed, “I literally listen to every episode as they come out! How did I not recognize your name!” _Hit the Moon_ was a biweekly podcast that focused on helping individual people follow their dreams. A whopping fifteen of the people who actually got their cases advised on the podcast ended up becoming students of Hope’s Peak.

“You probably tune out the adblock,” he rolled his eyes but kept the contented smile on his face, “Don’t worry, everyone does.”

“I’m so sorry,” I shook my head, “God, I heard _Hideo Games_ was really good too, my friend has listened to literally every episode at least nine times. I never got around to listening to it, you’re amazing!”

“Nah,” he played with the strings of his grey hoodie, “I’m just a guy with a good microphone.”

Ami returned with plates of food and sat down beside us, “Hey guys, did you see more folks came in to eat with us?”

A girl with small beady eyes and giant round glasses looked away from her conversation, “Oh! How nice!”

“Hey,” Ami said, “How about we make rounds? If we all introduce ourselves aloud then nobody can hide in the shadows. I’ll start: I’m Ami Uchida, the Super High School Level Waitress. Please, always call me Ami. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less. How about you go slick?” She gestured to the man sitting a chair away from Cho.

He was a short, round faced boy who, in his small stature, looked to be about seven years old, but in his eyes, you could tell he was much older. In a deep voice he said, “I’m Noboru Utagawa, and I’m the Super High School Level Jockey.”  
  
Next to him, sitting a chair away was a tall man, who looked infinitely taller in comparison to Noboru. He stood, placed his hand on his chest and said, “I am Gon Uramoto, I am the Super High School Level Osteopath. I’m a bone doctor.” He sat back down.  
  
“Isn’t that amazing?” the girl with the big round glasses asked. She looked at him with admiration, “Oh! It’s my turn. I’m the Super High School Level Dentist, Haruka Inoue. Very sweet to meet you all!”  
  
The woman next to her cleaned off thin oval glasses and placed them back upon her face. She looked up and smiled, “I am Narumi Ikeda, Super High School Level Counselor, and I am here to talk if you need it.”  
  
“She said that to everyone,” Takumi murmured, and Ami smacked his shoulder.

The man next to her said, “I don’t feel the need to play this game with you all.” He turned the page of his book. He sat, unmoving as everyone watched expectantly. His dark grey eyes scanned the text of his book and he said, “I introduced myself once. If they really want to know who I am, they can ask me themselves.”

“Uh,” I began, “Okay, so who are you?”

His eyebrows knit together, displeased with my question. He placed the bookmark that was laid on the table his book, and closed it, “I am Joben Suzuki. I am the Super High School Level Librarian. If you happen to need a book from this horrendous, book-lacking place, it seems I have an extensive collection of books in my cabin. Just let me know.”  
  
“See, it wasn’t that bad!” Ami smiled.

“I’m Takumi Nakano,” Takumi said, “Super High School Level Diver.”

And Hibiki went after him.

The final girl who was to go before Cho and I introduced ourselves took a long, loud sip of her miso soup. Once she was done, she dabbed her face with a napkin, burped, and took a sip of her tea. Only then did she nod and say, “I’m Fusae Ando. Go ahead and lease call me Afu. And my Super High School Level is Ping Pong Champion!”  
  
Cho went before me, “I’m Cho Kakawa, the Super High School Level Stewardess.”

“And I’m Sen Oshiro. I’m the Super High School Level Solemniser,” I paused a moment and then remembered the word might be new to some folk, “Oh! A solemniser is-”

“We know what a solemniser is,” Joben rolled his eyes, “I just didn’t know that it was a talent.”

Takumi shushed him and then said, “What’s a solemniser?”

“I marry people to one another. I’m the person that says, ‘And do you take him to be your lawfully wedded husband?’. And to be honest, it’s not a talent. But Hope’s Peak thought it was, so-”

Before I could finish my thought, the loudspeaker set off an announcement in a nasally voice: “TO THE STUDENTS OF HOPE’S PEAK TALENT BOOT CAMP, WILL YOU PLEASE GATHER AT THE MAIN STAGE. THANK YOU.”

“Finally, some answers,” Joben stood and tucked his book under his arm, “You’ll bus these, right Miss Uchida?” He asked, before leaving the mess hall.

“What the heck is wrong with that guy?” Cho asked.

“I’ll clean up here,” Ami stood, “Just fill me in.”

“I’ll help!” Cho offered but Ami just waived her off.

“Nah, Choco, it’s my job, don’t worry about it. Just promise you’ll fill me in if I miss anything good?” Ami pinched Cho’s cheek.

Cho turned furiously red and said, “O-Okay.”

The ten of us headed over to the main stage. I walked side-by-side with Cho. I broke the silence, “Ami seems nice.”

Cho sighed dreamily, “Yeah.”

“The motherly type.”

“If by motherly you mean amazing,” Cho said, “then yeah.”

“What makes you think she’s so great?” I asked.

“Do you not think so?” Cho tilted her head, “I just like how she immediately makes me feel at home. Like, I don’t know where we are or why we’re here, there’s no direction to it at all, but she’s so nice and comforting that,” she smiled, “I’ve always admired waitresses. I think they do good work. It’s like my job, but easier. I’m confined to a single plane, walking up and down an aisle, serving snooty rich people in upper class. She’s a waitress, bustling around a chaotic restaurant, all while making customers feel like they’re not a burden. It’s a cool quality to have.”

“I never thought of it like that,” I shrugged.

When we reached the main stage, Zuzu was standing up front with his mp3 connected to a speaker. He shouted, “Not my usual setup, but I’ll make it work. Now who’s ready for some beats? Make some noise!”

Out of who was gathered, only Hibiki made a small, “Woo!”

“This bullshit really what I was called outta my room for?” A tall girl next to me loudly smacked her gum, “I was havin’ that dream where I was winnin’ a fight in the octagon.”

I looked over at her. She was tall, and had dark magenta, shaggy hair with the roots growing out black. She saw me look at her and raised an eyebrow, “What’s up grandma?”

I shook my head, “Sorry, I just never had the chance to introduce myself.”

“Ah, no hard feelings! Put ‘er there!” She slapped her hand to mine, “The name’s Ginko Shiota. The game’s glass blowing, makin’ me the Super High School Level Glassblower.”  
  
“Glass blowing! That’s so cool.”

“I know right, want an autograph?”

“Uh,” I laughed uncomfortably, “I don’t have a pen.”

“Ah, too bad,” she kicked at the dirt, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Sen Oshiro. I’m the Super High School Level Solemniser, meaning, I get people married.”

“That’s chill as hell! I’ll keep that in mind Senny.”

I nodded, and Cho called my name.

“Sen-O! Have you met Oda?”

“No! We haven’t been acquainted yet. I believe I saw you this morning! I’m-”

“I know who you are,” she said, her face slack.

“You do?” Cho asked.

“You do?” I repeated.

“You’re Sen Oshiro. _The Undivorced_ .” I hated that nickname. It made me sound like I’ve never been divorced, which was true, of course. But I’d also never been married. The nickname referred to the fact that none of my clients, out of the hundreds of clients I’ve had, have gotten divorces or annulments. Only time will tell if the nickname is valid.

“I’m Oda Minamimoto,” she crossed her arms in front of herself, cutting me off. She stared at me with those same stoic, challenging eyes as this morning, “I’m the Super High School Level Midwife.”  
  
“A midwife, that’s cool,” I tried to ease her stare.

It didn’t soften. She said, “If you think trying to calm the uncalmable, then being arm deep in afterbirth is cool, then sure. Cool.”

I didn’t stick around her much longer than that. Ami caught up and began talking to Cho. I stood awkwardly by myself, seeing that everyone had a partner to talk to. Even Zuzu came into the crowd and began hanging out with Hibiki after he realized we weren’t there for music.

“Is this everyone?” A nervous voice asked from the side of me, startling me. He apologized, “Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you! I was just marvelling at the sight of all these ultimate students gathered in one spot. I didn’t think I’d see it until my first day at Hope’s Peak.”

“So you didn’t sign up for this either?”

“Nope,” he frowned, “Or at least I don’t remember. I think I might have hit my head or something.”

“No, don’t worry, nobody remembers signing up.”

“Do you guys not remember your talents either?” he asked, almost relieved.

“No, I do. I’m Sen Oshiro, the Super High School Level Solemniser.”

“That’s really neat! So you officiate weddings?”

It felt good for someone to know the job. “Yeah, I’ve officiated hundreds now.”

“That’s really cool Sen,” he smiled, “I’m Mitsuo Ito. I wish I could tell you my ultimate.”  
  
“Well did you try the tablet that you were given?”

“Yeah,” he pulled it from his pocket, “Look.” He swiped it open and on the screen it said _Mitsuo Ito, Super High School Level_ ☒☒☒☒☒ _\- Hope’s Peak Talent Boot Camp._

“Whoa, that’s really weird,” I shook his tablet, “It’s just a glitch. They’re calling an assembly, so maybe you can get a teacher to fix it.”

“I hope so,” he nodded, “I just have this overwhelming feeling of dread. Like me not having my memory and us all feeling weird about being here… Like it’s all part of a prank. I hate being pranked.”

“Me too,” I sighed.

“Isn’t it like the cheapest way to make people laugh?” he asked, “Like you don’t have to hurt people to tell a joke.”

I smiled and nodded, “Yeah! I agree. And hey, looking on the bright side,” I pat his back, “You’ve got your talent being revealed to you to look forward to. It’ll be like getting that Hope’s Peak acceptance letter all over again!”

“Yeah, that’ll feel good. I think I’m just a little disoriented.”

“I think we all are. It’s gonna be okay though,” I looked around, Shun arrived. I continued, “I counted sixteen cabins this morning, and there are sixteen of us here… so I think the assembly should start any min-”

“ _Hellooooo Hope’s Peak Campers!_ If you’d avert your attention to the main stage, we can introduce you to your head camp leader!”

Everyone turned to see the empty stage, then from behind the podium sprung up a black and white teddy bear. There was an uncomfortable sense of laughter. It wasn’t a funny joke to a room of teenagers. We were all waiting for an older person to walk on stage and laugh at his joke. God I wish that were the case. But instead, the living teddy bear stood on one black foot, and one white foot, and waved it’s little black paw, “Hello? No uproarious applause or cries of my name? It’s not like I was expecting panties or anything, but this is ridiculous!”

There was silence.

“Any panties?”

“Is it a robot?” a voice in the crowd asked.

“No, I’m your head camp leader!” The bear did a little bow, “My name is, and always will be Monokuma!”

“Ok, this prank ain’t funny anymore,” Shun shouted, “Get the bot off the stage and come tell us what the fuck is goin’ on!”

“You can shout all you like, but the only one up here is me, your dear camp leader, Monokuma!” He did a little jig. I looked over at Mitsuo, whose anxiety looked like it only got worse.

There was rabble in the crowd, I remember. We were all trying to make sense of what was going on.

Monokuma tapped the mic once and said in a calm, nasally tone, “Excuse me?”

We continued our chatter.

“Kids… Uh.”

Shun shouted again.

“Quiet! We don’t have all day! We gotta talk rules and regulations!” He shouted into the microphone. We all quieted own.

“First of all, how are all of you doing?” A rhetorical question, the stuffed bear looked upon the crowd and said, “Great! Doesn’t it feel great to represent the hope of the world? Like what would we do without the world’s greatest… uh,” he picked up a sheet of paper, “Ooh! Doctor and Dentist! And… Librarian… Glassblower… Podcaster- Are you kidding? What a lame batch of kids I got!”

“Hey fuck you!” Ginko stuck her middle finger in the air.

“Nonetheless, you kiddos represent the hope of tomorrow! And here you are supposed to be trained in how to better use that hope in a learning environment! You will all live and grow together! In this here wonderful camp! Until you die!”

“I’m about to die of boredom!” Afu shouted. Ginko laughed loudly at that and winked at Afu when she looked at her.

“Where’s good reception?” Shun called out.

“You don’t need reception here. You’ve got fifteen other boys and girls to talk to. No FaceSpace or MyBook or InstaTwit for you!” Monokuma’s crooked smile opened in a laugh to reveal jagged teeth,

“You’ve got no contact to the outside world my dear! You’re far away from any cell phone towers or satellites. It’s just you and your fellow campers for the rest of your talented lives! And we’re in the middle of nowhere. I really don’t recommend you go searching for much, unless you’re keen on surviving in the woods where my beast and junk models are waiting for a snack.”

“We get it,” Ami rolled her eyes, “Don’t you think you’re overplaying it a little at this point?”

“Alright, don’t believe me,” Monokuma shrugged, “It’s not going to do you any good. You’re not going to see anyone beside the people you see here. There’s nobody looking for you, nobody coming to rescue you, and nobody else here.”

People started to look around. We were on lakefront property. As far as the eye could see was thick brush. Things were organized, but had a strange energy to them. All questions pointed to Monokuma’s statement as an answer: We were taken here, and are going to live the rest of our lives out here.

“Oh come on now! Act like ultimates!”

“This is fucking weird!” Afu shouted, more panic in her tone.

“It’s gonna get weirder!” Monokuma pressed his paws to his cheeks, “Because this isn’t any old talent boot camp, I call this _Hope’s Peak Talent Boot Camp of Mutual Killing_ !”  
There was dead silence.

“Oh come on, I expected more of a reaction than that!” He paused, and repeated in the same tone, “ _Hope’s Peak Talent Boot Camp of Mutual Killing!”_

“What do you mean _killing_ ?” Joben asked.

“Oh,” Monokuma thumped his own paw against his forehead, “Silly ol’ bear! I forgot the biggest part of this! You’re all going to live here for the rest of your lives, your short, scary lives, that is. Only one may leave.”

“ _Short_ ?” I shouted.

“In a game of mutual killing, you gotta murder someone to get out,” the bear shrugged, “Hell, it’s kill or be killed- Or even kill and be killed! You kids always throw me for a loop!”

“What do you mean murder?” Noboru shouted.

“I mean murder, end the life, kill, stop the heart of… You know, make someone dead?” Monokuma looked around, “Is murder not a word anymore? Am I not hip?”

“Okay, this is seriously not cool,” Zuzu looked around at the concerned faces of everyone.

“Why would we kill one another?” Haruka shouted.

“You’re the ones who wanna leave so bad.”

“I think she means,” Oda said, “Why would you want us to kill one another?”

“It’s fun, I’m bored, it gets me rock hard, it makes me feel alive...  Hey, pick your choice. I’m only in it for the despair of snuffing these little lights of hope!”

“This is ridiculous!” Gon shouted, “Just let us leave!”

“What part of ‘you gotta murder someone to get out’ don’t you understand?”

Cho took off her sneaker and chucked it at the bear. It hit him in the face dead on. The bear fell of the podium.

“I don’t know if that was wise,” Narumi said before biting her lip.

“No, nice shot girlie, fuck ‘im up!” Shun shouted.

“Let us go home,” Cho shouted, her face growing red.

Monokuma stood back up, it’s red eye shattered and a camera dangling from it. He said a few words before toppling forward, “I’ll give you that one.” The robot disassembled in a pile on the floor. We all approached it, but before any of us could touch it, another Monokuma ran up out of nowhere shouting, “No touchy!”

“Another one!” Hibiki pointed and shouted.

“Yeah, another one! Like I said, the only way outta here is to kill… But I will reiterate, kill a classmate. I’m not a classmate, I am a camp leader. You can’t hurt me. In fact, that’s a school rule! Dirty little rule breakers get punished,” the bear took a menacing step toward Cho and then lightened up, “But you didn’t know… So, I see this as an opportunity for growth and development.” Monokuma approached the disassembled corpse of his former self and picked it up in his paws. Quite suddenly, he shoved the scraps into his mouth, ground them up with loud, open mouthed chewing, and pat his belly as he swallowed, “Did you know that’s totally normal in the animal kingdom?”

I felt my face twist in disgust. No it wasn’t.

“And also, even if you don’t break the rule so plainly in front of me, your camp leader, I will know. There are cameras all about the camp. And don’t go breaking any! Because defacing or purposefully damaging camp property is breaking a different rule. You got me?”

“What’s the punishment?” I asked before I even thought about my question.

“Oh, are you really curious? The punishment is death, of course.”

“Death? Don’t you think that’s a little much?” Haruka gasped.

“I want your respect,” Monokuma said, “So sometimes, to instill it, I gotta add a little pinch of fear. I promise your life here will adjust.”

“That’s bullshit!” Cho screamed, “I have friends and family outside these walls probably worried sick about me!”

“Yeah, sure thing,” Monokuma said, “I hope you all have your tablets on you!” He looked around. The only person who did was Mitsuo. “Seriously. Ungrateful brats… Well, fine, I’ll just give you folks a little homework. Head back to your cabins, and on your pads, read the whole Rules and Regulations tab. Get yourself more accustomed to your life here in the camp of mutual killing! Plus, your room keys are in there and ready for you to lock your doors behind you! Buh-bye now!”

Monokuma slunk behind the stage, and in a matter of seconds, he was gone.

We were all silent, until a voice peeped, “I don’t want to die.”

When that voice finished its sentence, we seemed to disband in a sprint to our rooms.

When I reached my room, sitting on the desk next to my tablet was a key on a lanyard and a grey shoulder bag. I put the lanyard in the bag. I sat down to turn on my tablet, but before I could click it on the tablet beeped, and monokuma played a little video on the screen:

“Broadcasting live to you from the camp of mutual killing, it’s camp leader Monokuma! Howdy kids. It’s me, the famous mascot! Isn’t it cool that in our day and age you can all be streaming the same video, and be at the same part at the same time? I think it’s neato. Anyways, welcome to your camper’s tablet. Here is where you will take camp notes, record diaries, and be informed on your day to day life here at camp. You must always have a tablet on you to stay up to date on cool happenstances here at camp. And not only that, but it will tell you when to head to your rooms for the night, when to wake up, and when gather together. The stylish bag is for your tablet carrying convenience. Anyways, read up on them rules and regulations. See you soon!”

The video stopped. I unlocked the tablet and opened it up to the rules and regulations tab. There, eight rules were listed for me to read:

  1. Under no circumstances are you to leave camp.
  2. Violence against the camp leader is strictly prohibited.
  3. Nighttime is from 11PM to 8AM. In this dark, Junk and Beast Monokumas feel comfortable roaming. Some areas are off limits, some areas are dangerous. Express the utmost amount of caution if you are to go out during nighttime.
  4. Intentional destruction of camp property is prohibited.
  5. You must wait at least fifteen minutes after eating before swimming in the lake or indoor pool.
  6. Please follow the rules of each building to avoid punishment.
  7. You may leave the camp of mutual killing if you commit a murder and are not caught.
  8. Rules and Regulations may be added as the camp leader pleases.



I set the pad down.

I was once a girl with 1200 yen and a free Thursday. That led me to a camp. A camp, which, though a little unorthodox, was one to lift my hopes and cause me a great deal of comfort.

Instead I was greeted with this… This… This despair.

**Students Remaining: 16**


	2. Chapter One: One Time... At Despair Camp... (PART I)

I couldn’t help but cry. I wasn’t a big crier, I mostly held it in. But knowing that I was there, and I was doomed, big tears welled in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks.

I had no idea how I would survive if something were to happen. I had no arm strength. I had no fighting background. I wasn’t sneaky or cunning. And I sure as hell wasn’t willing to kill someone.

So how would I get out?

My face was in my hands when I heard a knock at the door.

Already, I was apprehensive. What if, as soon as I opened the door, I was stabbed? What if a new murderer was behind the door, but a voice calmed me, “Sen-O, are you okay?”

Cho. I walked to the door, and answered it. She was standing there, holding her pad, with her key around her neck. Concern was written all over her face. She invited herself in.

“Are you alright?”

How could anyone be alright in all of this?

I shrugged without saying anything. If I spoke, it would be obvious that I had been crying. My voice would come out creaky and raw.

Cho, unexpectedly, burst into my arms, hugging me tight. She says, “This is scary. You’re allowed to be scared, okay Sen-O?’

“Are you scared?” I croaked.

She stepped back and held onto my shoulders. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “I’m terrified. But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna fight. So heck yeah I’m gonna scream and cry, but I’m also gonna kick and punch my way outta here. And you should to!”

“Y-Yeah.”

“After all, we’re friends now. I mean,” she scoffed, “We have to be, we’re cabin neighbors.”

This made me smile. Cho was the type of person that knew exactly what to say and how to say it.

Together we sat on the foot of my bed. Cho told me a funny story about how on her first day being a stewardess- She spilled a soft drink on a man’s lap. When she tried to dab it off with her napkin, his wife got mad.

There was another knock at the door. We both looked at one another, my eyes were terrified, hers were curious. She said, “Hey, don’t worry, I’ll answer it.”

She opened my door, and on the other side was Gon, the Osteopath. He put his hands in his coat pockets and said, “We’re all strategizing out what we’re gonna do to get out of here and- My, your cheekbones are fantastic.”

Cho opened the door a little wider and looked back at me, making a ridiculous face. It made me giggle. She turned back to Gon and asked, “So, you’re strategizing?”

“Oh! Yes, apologies,” Gon bounced back on his heels, “Everyone but the two of you are outside by the map.”

“Alright,” Cho looked back at me and gestured forward.

We headed down to the map, which was inside a locked glass case and was obviously ripped apart.

“Oh, so nice of you to join us,” Joben narrowed his eyes at the two of us. He had the face of a mean librarian, so his talent was fitting.

“Hey, be nice,” Mitsuo said, smiling at me, “This is some scary stuff happening here. Let’s just all treat each other-”

“Anyways,” Ginko, the glassblower, rolled her eyes, interrupting whatever niceness Mitsuo was about to say, “What were you two gals going in your cabin alone together? You lezzin’ out?”

Zuzu gasped and intently waited for an answer. Cho rolled her eyes and said, “No, we were talking about life.”

“Or maybe collaborating on how to end someone else’s,” Noboru said.

I gasped at him, “I would nev-”

“Anything’s possible,” he said.

“Let’s make a compromise,” Narumi said, pushing up her glasses, “Since we’re splitting up into groups of four, we separate Miss Kakawa and Miss Oshiro-”

“Wait,” I said, “We’re splitting up?”

“How else would we cover the entire campground?” Joben crossed his arms.

“I- I don’t know, I just didn’t think we’d need to split up.”

“There are a few buildings. We need to search them high and low if we want to find out what this place is about,” Hibiki said.

“Well then, if we have to separate, how are we going to choose how to split up?” Cho put her hands on her hips.

“We’ll just pick who we want to go with,” Afu said, shrugging.

“Doesn’t mean that we’re treating Miss Kakawa and Miss Oshiro unfairly then?” Narumi frowned, “I assume they are friends and want to be with one another, so I believe we should let the decision be random.”

“How the hell’re we gonna do that lady?” Ginko said.

“Why don’t we pick numbers from a hat?” Haruka suggested.

“None of us wear hats,” Oda narrowed her eyes.

Noboru spoke up, “I’ve got a riding helmet in my cabin.”

The dentist stuck her tongue out at the midwife. The midwife crossed her arms in front of her.

“Hell yeah, go get it my Jockey number two,” Zuzu said, holding his hand out for a high five.

“Being a disc jockey does not give you the right to call yourself a jockey,” Noboru stared daggers at him, then headed to his cabin to get the helmet.

“Does anyone have paper?” Takumi looked around.

“I have a notebook and a pen in my room,” Narumi declared, “It’s good for taking notes about my patients. I can rip a piece up into numbers one through four, four times. Then we can draw them one by one.” She excused herself to her room.

Eventually, the plan was enacted.

The people who drew the number one were Zuzu, Hibiki, Oda, and Shun. They were directed to take the chapel and the craft room.

The people who drew the number two were Ami, Cho, Gon, and Joben. They were directed to take the girls and boys locker rooms, and the indoor pool.

The people who drew the number three were Narumi, Ginko, Haruka, and Afu. They were directed to take the mess hall, and the kitchen.

The people who drew the number four were Mitsuo, Noboru, Takumi, and I. We were directed to backstage, and the equipment room.

Mitsuo smiled at me, “Looks like we’re gonna be searching partners, Sen!”

“Yeah, if you completely disregard us,” Noboru crossed his arms. He put his helmet on, and in doing so, the little guy looked more like a jockey. He raised his eyebrows at Takumi.

I laughed, “We’re all gonna do great.”

Before departing from the area outside of our cabins, Takumi asked, “Does everyone have their tablet and key?”

Mitsuo pat his pockets, nodded. We all had what Monokuma said we should.

Going back to the stage was a little uncomfortable. We didn’t know when or if the black and white bear was going to show up.

The stage was in the exact same position it was in before- There was a podium atop the stage, all made of wood, and on either side of the stage, there were stairs leading up onto it. In the back left corner was an ajar door.

“Hey, the room’s already open,” Takumi climbed on stage, “Let’s check out the back!”

I climbed up on the stage and looked out at where the crowd would stand from behind the podium. I imagined Monokuma taking in our confused faces as he told us the only way out of this camp. I began to stare out, at the emptiness. Mitsuo snapped me out of it, “Hey, Sen? You okay?”

“Y-Yeah!” I snapped out of whatever trance I was in, “Sorry… I just, ha, I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about how the bear saw us?” He asked.

I looked at him curiously, “Yeah… How’d you know?”

He shrugged, “Maybe my talent is intuition! Nah, I’m just saying what I’m thinking. I was hoping I wasn’t alone.”

“You’re not alone,” I smiled at him. He smiled back.

“We get it!” Noboru shouted, “Quit flirting and help us look backstage!”

Mitsuo blushed, and looked back at the jockey. He laughed uncomfortably, and walked away from me. I stood at the center stage for a second longer, and looked down at the base of the podium. There was a door, about three feet tall, with a mechanized lock on it. No handle or anything of the sort, just a computer lock on a small door.

“Sen, you coming?” Takumi called after me. I looked back, and nodded.

I snapped back to reality. “Yes! Sorry,” I ran to the backstage.

The backstage was spacious. There were vanities, and a shelf full of makeup, as well as haircutting supplies such as scissors, blowdryers, flat irons, and dyes.

There were also costumes on a clothes rack. They weren’t anything special: low budget renaissance dresses and tights, spandex superhero costumes, a mascot suit of a pink and white split bunny in a diaper, and other silly wearables. There were also props like wooden swords, fake babies, and a fake gun.

In the corner of the room was a tripod, with a video camera on it.

“Hey,” Takumi called, “Noboru, look at me.” We all looked back at the diver, who had a latex horse mask on.

Noboru looked instantly annoyed.

“Wh- What? It’s funny. I thought you rode horses!” Takumi shrugged as he took off the mask.

“I do,” Noboru shot daggers at Takumi. It was quite frightening, even though the jockey was so little, “That’s why I don’t think they should be made into jokes.”

“I was only kidding,” the diver shrugged, “I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” he said, “just don’t let it happen again.”

The air was tense.

Mitsuo called for me, “Hey Sen, do you like makeup? Come look at this!”

I liked makeup enough. I didn’t excessively wear it though.

“Whoa, they have cake makeups too,” Mitsuo rifled through all of the supplies, “and special effects makeup too!” He held up a small container of a pink eyeshadow, “Aren’t you excited?”

“I guess,” I shrugged. I swatched the eyeshadow on my hand. It wasn’t my color.

“You don’t like makeup?” he frowned, “Sorry, I just assumed you did… I guess that was a little presumptuous of me, wasn’t it?”

“No,” I shook my head, “I wear makeup, I guess it’s just hard to get excited if I have no occasion to wear it to.”

Mitsuo just shrugged, “Maybe the camp will put something on!”

“The camp’s not gonna put anything on, because we’re getting out of here,” Noboru crossed his arms.

Mitsuo smiled embarrassed, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

We continued to look through the room, but there wasn’t much to see. The wooden swords were solid, the makeup was pigmented, the costumes were plentiful, and the vanities were well lit. There was a sign that said “BACKSTAGE OPEN FROM 8 AM TO 10 PM. PLEASE DO NOT ENTER BACKSTAGE IN ITS CLOSED HOURS, IT IS OFF-LIMITS.”

“Oh, this is one of the off-limits areas,” I said.

“That’s riiiight,” a chilling, high pitched voice opened up the door we came through, “This is one of the areas that I don’t want you hanging around at night. There’s too much to mess up! You kids get too destructive at night, and I can’t have you undoing my beautiful work!”

“Your work?” Mitsuo asked.

“I spent all night sewing these costumes!” the bear angrily gestured at the clothes rack, “So that you campers can put on a play for me sometime. I get bored, you know!”

“Interesting,” Mitsuo placed his hand on his chin.

“Like hell we’re gonna do that,” Noboru spat, “I’m not doin’ anything for you! You can go to hell Monokuma!”

“I’ll see you there!” Monokuma laughed.

“Hey, Monokuma,” Mitsuo asked in a calm voice, “I have a question.”

This seemed to catch the bear off guard, “Uh, aren’t you a little old to have ‘the talk’?”

Mitsuo shook his head, blushing pink, “No! I know about that- I just wanted to know… Why don’t I remember my talent?”

“We always need a student like that!” Monokuma laughed, revealing his jagged teeth, “It adds suspense!”

“Suspense…?”

“It’s fun to watch you figure yourself out,” Monokuma fanned himself, “Kind of like all teenage boys have to when they’re at your age. So… naughty.”

“Quit it!” I barked.

“Wait, what do you mean ‘we’?” Noboru asked.

“Huh?” Monokuma lifted a paw to his mouth.

“You said ‘We always need a student like that’,” Noboru’s brow furrowed, “Who’s we? And whaddya mean always?”

Monokuma stared forward for a second, and said, “Whoops, bye!” He ran out of the room at an alarming speed.

Noboru tried to chase after him, but by the time he opened the door, the bear was gone.

“What the fuck…?” Noboru said, standing on the empty stage.

“Is he gone?” Takumi walked out of backstage.

“Fuck,” Noboru kicked the ground.

Mitsuo said with a sad laugh, “I get to be… his experiment? My confusion adds to his pleasure?” He was frowning, then he straightened his coat and nodded to himself, “Then I’m gonna figure out who I am fast, so I can ruin his fun.”

“How about you focus on finding a way for all of us to get out, huh?” Noboru asked, “That way, Monokuma’s fun is completely ended, not lessened.”

“You’re right,” Mitsuo nodded.

“I think we checked out everything there is so check out backstage, don’t you think?” I asked of my compatriots. They nodded in agreement.

“So to the equipment room next?”

They nodded again, and Noboru led the way.

On our walk over, I thought it would be nice to whisper a word of encouragement to Mitsuo. I get it, everyone thought I liked him. But… Well- We all need comfort in hard times. “Hey, don’t listen to anyone. We’re gonna figure out your talent no matter what, okay?”

He smiled at me, and nodded, “You’re a really nice girl Sen.”

I reflected his warmth and said, “Thank you.”

The equipment room was close to the docks. There wasn’t anything to search for at the docks, just another tripod camera, so we skipped over it. There was lots of stuff in the equipment room. A paper sign on the wall said, “Please record what is checked in and out. Items may not leave unless they are checked out.” There was a clipboard and a pen hanging next to the sign.

We looked through the stuff in the room; it was just assorted junk for camp activities. There were two canoes for the lake, and a couple inner tubes as well. Mitsuo found scuba gear.

“Hey Takumi!” he held up the oxygen tank and mask, “Look at this!”

“Uh, cool,” he shrugged.

“I thought you were a diver?” Mitsuo frowned, deflating a little.

“I am. A platform diver. Not a free diver or deep sea diver… In fact, I’m afraid of boats.”

“You’re afraid of boats?” I gasped.

“Yeah,” he scowled, “There’s something unnatural about them. Man isn’t meant to tame the sea, who why ride out to it in a sinkable house?”

I shrugged, “How else would you get from point A to point B before planes?”

“You don’t. You stay where you’re meant to stay and wait until man learns to fly,” he crossed his arms, as if he made up his mind.

I walked around the room in search for something, anything that pointed out that the camp was escapable, but with no such luck. In the back of the equipment room, there was a stall with a coin operated machine vending machine in it.

On the top of the machine was a coin purse, heavy with coins.

“You can keep that, you know,” Monokuma’s voice said from behind me.

I yelped and turned around, “Why do you insist on sneaking up on everyone!”

“Just because it happens to you, you assume it happens to everyone?” He laughed, “Anywho, I’m givin’ ya a gift! That coinpurse is for whoever found it first, and ta-da! That’s you!”

“Why would I need money…?”

“For this here monovendo machine!” Monokuma tapped the game, “With the monovendo machine, you can insert some coin for some fabulous prizes!”

“What do you mean fabulous prizes?”

“Why don’t you try it for yourself?”

I turned around and placed one coin in. The machine had a number lit up on the screen on the side. Next to the number one it said _Duplicate Chance: 00.00%_ . Below that, it said _VEND_ .

I pressed the vend button, the machine shook, and out fell a black box. I opened it up to find a small package of clove gum, “So it’s just a gachapon machine?”

“No! Well, yes,” Monokuma said, “It’s bigger, so the prizes you’ll get might be bigger than the junk you’d get in a regular ol’ gachapon! Like- Uh, try again!”

I did. Out came a book of jokes entitled “1000 Jokes to Tell at Parties”.

“See, the items get bigger!”

I slipped both the pack of gum and the book into my bag, and turned around to ask the bear a question, but he was already gone.

The pouch still had more coins, but it was not the time to go shopping.

“Uh,” Mitsuo picked up a large harpoon gun. It was surreal to see- it was an exact replica of the movies, “Guys?”

Everyone flinched as Mitsuo put his finger on the trigger.

“That’s a real gun!” Noboru cried out, “Don’t just wave it around, you might kill someone!”

Takumi took the gun from him and said, “Do you know what would be a good idea? We should just destroy all the weapons on the campground.”

“Good point,” Noboru said, “Then there’s less of a chance of a murder.” Search for anything that might be a murder weapon- There wasn’t anything backstage, so I think we only gotta search high and low here.”

And so we rifled through the packed room. The only items that we deemed deadly, other than the harpoon gun, was a pickaxe, a wooden baseball bat, and a metal baseball bat.

As we were about to leave, I realized something. There was a sign that told us to check out the items.

“Wait!” I called after Noboru as he almost walked out. He stopped.

“It says that items can’t leave unless they are checked out,” I pointed at the sign. Noboru rolled his eyes, and said, “I don’t think that’s an important rule.”

“But the rules on the tablet tell us that we have to follow the building's rules to avoid punishment!”

“She’s right,” Mitsuo said, placing his hand on Noboru’s shoulders, “Let’s just check these out, just in case.”

Each of us wrote our names on the paper, and headed back to the map with the weapons. Everyone was frightened to see us carrying such things.

“What the fuck?” Shun shrieked.

“No no no!” Takumi held up a hand, “We have an idea!”

“What?” Zuzu said, “Kill us all and take off? So uncool man.”

“No,” Noboru said, slamming the pickaxe against the dirt, “We’re gonna destroy them as weapons. Nobody is going to get any use out of them.”

“That’s an incredibly smart idea,” Narumi stepped forward, “But how?”

“We can light them on fire!” Ginko pulled a lighter out of her pocket.

“This is a metal bat,” I said, tapping the bat against the ground, “That’s a harpoon… These things are metal.”

Everyone looked around. We had no way to destroy the weapons. Right in front of us were means to end each others lives, support the killing game that we were forced into.

“There’s a boat on the dock!” Hibiki suddenly realized, “We can drive to the middle of the lake and dump everything overboard!”

“No boats,” Takumi said.

“We’re not doing anything with these weapons,” Joben took a single step forward, “Because we’re going to take them into the woods tonight to try to escape.”

We all looked at the librarian.

“He said there are beasts waiting for us in the woods,” Joben explained, “So what if we came with weapons? What could the beasts do then, other than die by the hands of our advanced weaponry, or run away from us- the superior species!”

“What if they kill us?” Haruka looked unnerved.

“They won’t. If anything happens, we can always retreat,” Joben said, snatching the metal bat from my hands and holding it up in the air, “Who’s with me?”

Annoyed, I looked around at everyone around us.

The first person to put up a hand was Shun, with bright eyes of admiration. After him was Gon, which made Haruka immediately raise her hand. Hibiki and Zuzu both raised their hands. Soon, it was all of us, together, standing with two baseball bats, a harpoon, a pickaxe, and a crazy plan to escape into the woods after night fell.

**Students Remaining: 16**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going off-update schedule, because I didn't have an update schedule!!! HAHAHA  
> Anyways, I'm gonna try to update at least once a week. I'm about four parts ahead, so there's always something to post, but that also means I need FTE candidates more than ever! So if you have anyone that you'd like in an FTE, please let me know in the comments! :)  
> Thank you for reading, hope you have a wonderful day.


	3. Chapter One: One Time... At Despair Camp... (PART II)

We met back in the same area after the sunset. It wasn’t yet camp wide nighttime, a statement which, at the time, I wasn’t sure of. But it was dark enough to have to use flashlights. Past the mess hall the trail led to a thick forest of pine trees- untidy and too wild to navigate. The rude librarian led us with the metal bat the stole from me in his hand. He stepped over a fallen tree and stood on it triumphantly.

“If anything happens,” he sounded like he was about to start a triumphant speech, “Those of you with lesser talents: sacrifice yourselves.”

“Fuck you,” Ginko yelled.

“No, not you glassblower,” he said, “At least what you do takes talent. I’m talking Mitsuo, or Sen… Oh! Especially Ami.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Cho said, looking offended.

“Act like ultimates!” It was the last thing he said before trekking off into the dark.

It was my first day of camp and already I felt utter terror.

We all trekked off behind him. I felt someone grip my hand. It was Cho. She held onto me tight.

“It’s okay to be scared Sen-O,” she said with a shiver in her voice, “You look terrified.”

“I do?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, wrapping her free arm around mine. The look in her eyes was utter terror.

“I am,” I said, squeezing her hand, “but you’re helping.” I knew she needed that moment, so I wasn’t going to ruin it for her.

Ginko held out her lighter, as if it gave off any light, and complained, “I can’t see the goddamned floor or nothin’! This was a stupid idea, booknerd!”

“It’s not a stupid idea,” Joben argued sharply, “It’s brilliant. We’re making it though. We’ll be out of the woods and close to civilization in no time.”

The darkness was consuming and suffocating. Our flashlights seemed to do nothing in this kind of dark. Through the meetings of the treetops I couldn’t even see the stars. Cho saw me look up, and looked up herself, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I nodded, “I’m just surprised at how thick this forest is.”

“I think whoever brought us here didn’t intend of us leaving,” Mitsuo said. He stood beside Cho and I with the wooden baseball bat, “But I don’t think they intended on us fighting our way out.” He smiled at us so earnestly, as if he was swearing to protect us with with the bat.

Takumi nervously darted to point the harpoon gun every which way. His finger was on the trigger the whole time.

Afu grabbed it from him feistily, “You’re pointing that at everyone! Gimme!”

I had never seen so much fight from someone so sweet and pink. She looked completely out of character, wielding such a big weapon. Ginko’s face drained of all its color as she watched Afu stomp through the woods with the harpoon gun.

We’d been walking for nearly 20 minutes when the light of camp completely disappeared from behind us. We were alone, the sixteen of us, swallowed whole by darkness.

“Wait,” Shun pointed forward with the pickaxe he stole from Noboru. He could hold the heavy thing with just one arm, “Look! Is that… A campfire?”

A warm red glow radiated from something in the distance and we were all overcome by hope. It was like we didn’t know what had come over us… We all just started running, the first person to scream for help was Zuzu, shouting, “Yo! Over here! We’re like, super boned! Can you help us!”

But the faster we ran, sooner we realize that the warm red glow wasn’t coming from a fire, but a giant slashed red eye. It only took a second for all of us to stop in our tracks, completely still. We were standing, confronted by a large, rabid monokuma standing on all fours. It’s eyes locked to us as a group, and we couldn’t do anything but stare at the beast.

It took a careful step forward, underbrush crushing under its heavy footsteps. Joben, who was once at the head of the group, sunk into the crowd and said, “Someone do something.”

As the beast heard his voice, it opened its mouth wide, letting out a deafening roar.

Something of horror came from that roar, because little slashed lights blinked on, surrounding us and lighting up the faces of more beasts.

“We’re so fucked,” Zuzu cried, hiding his towering body behind the tiny Afu.

And, as if set off by the despair in Zuzu’s tone, Mitsuo took a running lunge forward and smashed the wooden bat into the side of the closest beast's head, yelling, “Run!”

Frozen in fear, we didn’t listen.

The bat broke in half, sending splinters flying everywhere. The noise of wood on metal, making the metal crunch into itself was a horror. But, we began to hear that crunching all over the woods.

Crawling down from the tall trees were dirty, broken, spider-like Monokuma, which walked on disgustingly extended legs that stumbled over one another. Each step they made, the machines sounded like they were breaking. Haruka shined a flashlight on one, revealing a horror. It’s face was broken, smashed and chipping, and the eye on the white side of its face was bulging out of its mechanical skull. It’s mouth was agape, and it’s gnashing teeth were spaced and dying for something to bite into. It crawled like a junky demon out of hell, straight for Haruka.

She screamed.

Gon ran, tackling her out of the junk’s path. It stopped abruptly, skidding and stumbling in the dirt.

“What the fuck is that thing?” Ami cried.

“I don’t know,” Hibiki turned to run, “but I’m not gonna stick around to find out!”

And from beside the both of them, Afu plunged the harpoon gun into the eye of the junk Monokuma. It fell over, dead.

“Come on! This way!” Narumi shouted, waving her flashlight and getting a headstart.

Afu ran to the dead, junked monster and desperately struggled to pull out the hooked harpoon. Another came crawling up behind her as she pulled.

She was greeted by the sound of metal crunching against metal as it opened its maw above her. She turned around with horror in her eyes, only to be saved by a pickaxe being swung into the temple of the monster.

Shun picked up Afu, slinging her over his shoulder and shouting, “You can’t use the gun if you’re dead, princess!”

We all ran through the woods. Deeper? Maybe. We weren’t sure. But the sound of fast beating paws against the forest floor, and the creaking of broken metal made us not really care which way we were going.

And then, quite suddenly, we were with the face of a cliff.

Shun looked around, and then grabbed onto a rock jutting out. “Hang on Afu, okay?” He said, as he began to climb.

“Are you crazy?” Gon said, “We can’t climb that!”

“There’s nowhere to go but up!” He said, scaling a few feet off the ground. Afu looked as if she was clawing into his back.

“Hey, put Afu down!” Ginko shouted, “She looks terrified!”

“Guys,” Mitsuo pointed forward as the crowd of robots closed in on us.

I felt Cho’s hand hold mine with white knuckles. She was sweating bullets. I squeezed it once, and gave her a calm smile. Her eyes were teary, and she whispered, “Sen, I don’t want to die.”

“At least we’re all together,” I said.

“That’s bullshit!” Joben shouted, “I can’t die with you people! Like this!” He attempted at scaling the wall as well. And as the darkness of the robot bodies closed in on us, there was one light of hope.

A grey bear landed between us and the monsters from what seemed like the top of the cliff. It spoke in a calm, soothing tone, “Go back to sleep my friends! They mean you no harm!”

One of the beasts roared, and a junk excitedly clicked with it’s rusted jaw. The bipedal bear took a step toward them and said, “It won’t happen again. If it does, by all means, go wild.”

There was a pause, and then the monsters retreated back into the darkness. The bear turned around and held up her paws. She was grey, the left side of her silken and light, and the right side of her flocked and kinda fuzzy. She had the signature eye, but in some sort of paint, a little red plus sign was drawn over it. Her large smile stretched out over the flocked side of her face just like Monokuma’s did, but the teeth were sanded to be round. She spoke, “I’m sorry about that. Is everyone okay?”  
  
There was silence between the sixteen of us. Finally, Gon spoke, “Haruka has some cuts and scrapes.”

“I’m fine,” Haruka blushed.

“No, that’s no good, they could get infected!” the grey split bear stepped forward. We all flinched.

“Oh,” she frowned, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Y-You’re,” Cho stuttered.

“You’re a bear,” Ami finished her sentence, “One of those walking, talking, stuffies. How’re we supposed to trust anything you do?”

“Oh,” she placed a paw on her chin, “What do I say… Well, I’ll start with an introduction. My name is Gurekuma. I’m the camp nurse. I’m here to ensure your well-being while you’re here. I’m fully equipped to do any medical task, such as kiss booboos, give stitches, amputate wounds, deliver babies, and perform appendectomies.”

“Wh- Deliver babies?” Ginko looked around, “Any of y’all knocked up?”

“Oh no,” Gurekuma squished her own bear cheeks together, “But in case two of you decide to have babies in your time here!”

“Have babies?” Shun said, hopping off the side of the cliff, “How long you think we’re going to be here lady?” He put Afu down gently.

“Well,” she tapped her paw to her chin, “Hopefully you all will decide to live in harmony. Then you’ll be here until you die of old age.”

“What?” Ami barked.

“Well, unless you kill… But I don’t want that! Then only one of you gets to leave! And that’s not fun! That’s just sad! That would be so lonely, to be removed from here, and to go back to a normal life... How could you live with yourself?” She wiped a tear from her unslashed eye, “Sorry, I got carried away.”

“No killings are going to happen,” Mitsuo assured.

“But we’re not staying here either!” Joben stepped forward with the metal bat, “Tell us how to get out, or I’ll smash you to pieces.”

“Please don’t!” she begged, “I really don’t know how to get you out of here. There are some things that big brother Monokuma doesn’t tell me! Like how to get out, or where the bathrooms are!”

“Then where do you poo?” Afu’s face twisted in confusion.

“Let’s just say a bear _does_ shit in the woods,” she said, shamefacedly, “Plus, I am technically a camp leader. I don’t want you breaking the rules. I think the punishment is harsh.” She walked over to Haruka and asked, “Are you alright? Where are your scrapes?”

She pointed at the outer side of her calf, which was scratched off and bleeding like liquid through cheesecloth.

“Oh my, it’s a mild abrasion, but an abrasion nonetheless,” she took ahold of her hand, “Come on, let’s get that cleaned up! All of you follow behind, I know my way back to camp.”

And she took us there, talking all about how she got her degree at nursing school, which we were all certain was a lie.

As we entered the campground near where we left, we were confronted by an odd sight. It was Monokuma, in a fluffy pink robe, pink bedtime slippers, curlers at the top of his head, and a green skinmask. He was tapping his foot and crossing his arms.

“What do we have here?” he said.

“Oh! Monokuma!” Gurekuma said, letting go of Haruka’s hand, “What are you doing up?”

“Worrying about the seventeen of you!” he snarled, “And Gurekuma, why aren’t you in uniform?”

“I just feel it’s a little degrading and-”

“Next time I see you, it better be on!”

“Yes, Mr. Big Brother, sir!” she sprung up.

“Now off to bed with all of you,” Monokuma shooed us all, “No supper!”

“Can I treat the wounds that Miss…”

“Haruka Inoue,” Haruka said, shaken.

“Can I treat the wounds that Miss Inoue sustained in the woods?” she completed her thought.

“Fine,” he growled, “but let this be a lesson to the rest of you! Next time you try to escape, my sweet little sister won’t be there to rescue you. I’ll let the beast and junk monokumas eat you for dinner, and shit you out after a nice eight hour sleep, you understand?”

We were all silent. Monokuma raised his arms and roared, “Now scram!”

We all ran to our respective rooms.

But I couldn’t sleep. The nightmares that were in the woods haunted my brain. I sat by my bed, my knees tucked to my chest for a long time. And then I heard a tap at the window.

I ignored it at first, but then I heard another, and another. I opened my blinds to find Cho, her body wrapped in a towel, throwing mint after mint at my window from her window, trying to get me to notice her. She gestured for me to open the window. I obliged.

“Hey, can you sleep?” she asked, leaning against the window frame.

“No,” I said. I looked down at myself. I hadn’t even changed into pajamas. I just broke down into my bed.

“Are you okay?” she frowned.

“I’m… No,” I said, “I’m not okay.”

She smiled at me, and sat fully in her bed, “Me neither.”

That was comforting. At least I wasn’t alone in that. She smiled at me, “But at least we have each other. And hey, we didn’t die.”

I wiped my eyes with the butt of my hand. Cho said, “Hey… It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get out of here.”

I nodded solemnly, but tears still escaped my eyes.

“Hey, come on…” she said softly, “It’s okay. Hey, think of it this way… Worst case scenario, we get to stay friends for the rest of our lives here. And,” she coped Gurekuma’s sweet voice as best she could, “we could have babies! Who would you pick as a partner?” She leaned against more out the window sill, “I think I’d choose Ami.” She raised an eyebrow, “Don’t tell her that.”

“I won’t,” I laughed through tears. Cho was really good at cheering me up, “I’d… I don’t know. I don’t think I could choose right now. I don’t know anyone.”

She scoffed, “I was just playin’ around.” She tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear, “I don’t think we’ll be here forever. I mean, we’re all smart kids. We’ll find a way.”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“Sen-O,” she yawned, “Get yourself in a nice hot shower, and bundle into bed. I swear, it’ll make you feel better.”

“Okay,” I said, “Goodnight Cho. See you in the morning?”

“Of course,” she winked at me, “Goodnight Sen-O!” She shut her window, and closed her blinds.

I took her advice, stripping of all my clothes, and walking to the shower room. Right before I started the shower, I heard the boat at the dock startup. I scrambled for my glasses and stood on my tiptoes to peek out the tiny window.

Gurekuma had gathered the weapons we used in the boat, and she drove out a ways before she dumped them overboard.

That action, doing as we wanted, made me trust her.

After my shower I sat at the foot of my bed playing with the tablet’s games. A force-played video interrupted me. It was Monokuma, sitting in a red leather chair with a cup of cocoa. He said, “Good evening campers! It is now 11 o’clock, and officially night time. As a reminder, the backstage room, and the dining halls are now off limits, and their doors will be closed until morning. Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

Even though I was disgusted, seeing that little bear again, because of that shower, I, warm and cozy, was easily able to fall asleep.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma sits by the fire in a green vest and hat, roasting weenies and marshmallows on one stick. They’re all on fire.

“I couldn’t be a prouder camp counselor. I have strong independent campers, who think for themselves, believe in the powers of friendship, and desperately want to escape. Isn’t it delightful? This will be a fun game for Camp Leader Monokuma after all.”

**Students Remaining: 16**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New character: Gurekuma! She's the best.  
> I think I'm updating every thursday ye


	4. Chapter One: One Time... At Despair Camp... (PART III)

I woke up to the sound of the charging tablet: it let out a few beeps before it played the morning announcement: Monokuma sat in the same red leather chair with a mimosa and a boiled egg in an egg cup. He said: “Goooood morning happy campers! It is now 8AM and nighttime is officially over! All rooms are now accessible. Have a wonderful day!”

The nightmare lived on. I pinched myself to make sure I was still awake.

I opened my blinds and window to see Cho’s blind still drawn. A mint was on my windowsill, so I copied Cho’s doings, and chucked it at her closed window. She didn’t respond. I called for her: “Cho… Cho? Cho, uh, Cho-K?” I said, copying her nickname style, “Kakawa!”

She didn’t respond.

Despite my fears, I told myself she had to be in the dining hall, so I got dressed, and headed that way.

“Miss Oshiro!” Haruka called after me, “Miss Oshiro!” She came running up after me, “Sorry to bother you, good morning, I hope you slept well!”

“Yeah, thanks. How’d you sleep?” I asked her, groggily rubbing interrupted sleep out of my eyes.

“Just fine. I was just waiting for you to wake up! I’m letting everyone know how great Gurekuma is! Look!” She showed me the side of her leg, which was properly dressed for her. She lifted up the side of her dress, showing me the entire side of her leg, “She washed it, she was nice and gentle, and she dried it, and dressed it, and she was so kind and conversational the whole time! I don’t think she’s on Monokuma’s side.”

“Yeah, I saw her use the boat and throw the weapons overboard,” I said, “Like we wanted. Do you think she was listening into our meeting?”

“Maybe,” Haruka shrugged, “Maybe not. All I know is she’s here to help. She wants us to have a safe camp life, because that’s all she can hope for. Monokuma has us trapped, Gurekuma’s going to try to keep us safe. I think that’s a pretty good reason to smile.”

“Yeah, I mean, we have to look on the bright side, or we’re going to be overwhelmed with despair.” I shot her an enthusiastic smile.

“You’re ri- Sen! You’ve got beautiful teeth!” She peered at my mouth, “May I?”

“What?” I asked, but before I gave her conformation, she lifted up my upper lip with her finger.

“Have you ever had a cavity? Do you brush every morning?” She asked excitedly.

I backed away, “Stop!”

She withdrew her hand, wiping it on her lab coat, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think about how strange that must be.”

“It’s- It’s okay. You’re a dentist right?” I asked.

She nodded proudly, “Don’t be afraid to come to me with any dental concerns. I’m actually going to join everyone in the mess hall, if you’d like to join me.”

“Everyone’s in the mess hall?”

“Yeah,” she smiled, starting to walk toward it, “I made sure I saw everyone this morning to talk about Gurekuma! I’m just so grateful to her.”

“And to Gon, right? That was quick thinking on his part.”

She blushed heavily and pushed up her round frames, “Y-Yeah. It was. I… I didn’t tell him about Gurekuma. I got too nervous. I just said ‘Good morning!’ and walked away… I’m so dumb.” She sighed heavily.

“You got a crush?”

“N-No! That would be unprofessional!” Her hands balled into fists, “I have to focus on my schoolwork; I have no time to think about b-boys… With their long legs, and dark, short hair, and inviting, light brown eyes, and mutual love of the human skeleton…” She realized she was listing, and her head darted up, “No time!”

I laughed, and pat her back, “Well, I hope you’re able to talk to him.”

Together, we entered the dining room. Everyone was sitting down, but as Ami saw us, she stood. Cho lightly grabbed her wrist and made a face at her.

“Ami, don’t worry, we can serve ourselves.”

“Nonsense,” Joben rolled her eyes, “Let make herself useful.”

“She served you and you didn’t so much as thank her!” Cho stood out of her chair, “What are you good for other than reading and being an asshole?”

Joben looked at her with his grey eyes and said, “Are you illiterate?”

“Wh-”

“Because if you _could_ read, I’m sure you would have visited the wonder of a library. Experienced the organization of it, the mass of information, entertainment, fiction, and nonfiction. I’m sure if you weren’t a complete idiot, you would be able to appreciate the beauty in books. But, because you embarrassingly revealed yourself as an illiterate idiot, we now know why you can’t appreciate anything but serving people in the sky.”

“She doesn’t just serve people,” Hibiki’s eyebrows knitted together, “Do you not know why she was scouted as an ultimate?”

“Hibiki,” Cho warned.

“She’s the stewardess that saved the lives of 187 people after the pilot killed the co-pilot and himself! She’s the famous teenage girl who did the emergency landing just last year! You were all over the news!”

“I tried not to be,” Cho rolled her eyes, “I’m disappointed that one of you knew.”

“Hey!” Ami looked at her with wide, confused eyes, “That’s amazing Cho, why do you want to hide that feat?”

“Because I want to be known for being a great stewardess,” Cho picked at her breakfast, “Not for staying level headed in a freak situation.”

“But two hundred people! That’s unreal!” Ami said, then looked at Joben, “And what have you done, other than memorized the Dewey decimal system?”

“A whole lot more than you, waitress. Just because you’re friends with a useful stewardess, doesn’t make you useful. You’re still just a lowly waitress- An entry level job.”

“Dude, we get it, you’re an asshole with a superiority complex,” Ginko picked underneath her nails with a fork, “Can you establish that any more than you already do?”

“Ginko, Joben, I don’t think it’s best to hurl insults,” Narumi looked at them with pleading eyes.

“Oh, is it not Miss-Life-Therapist in a push-up bra? How about we talk about how it’s not best that you’ve got your tits almost completely out? We get it, you’ve got knockers!” Ginko slammed down her fork, “We know you need attention too.”

“I really don’t recommend you do that, Ginko,” Narumi said, spreading butter over her toast.

“Why, what’re you gonna do, hit me?”

“I don’t have to hit you,” Narumi said, “Let me ask you this? Did you grow up with brothers? Maybe older? Did any of them attend Hope’s Peak?”

“Wha- Why d’you wanna know?”

“Okay, so you have brothers. And let me guess, they were your parents prides and joys. The activities they did, the way they held themselves, their utter talent… You were left in the dust, were you not?”

“Sh-Shut up, bitch!”

“Poor Ginko had to fend for herself, so she became hardened. She didn’t want to have to earn people’s love, she wanted people to earn her love. So she made people work to like her. This is what makes her so hard to deal with.”

“I’m not-”

“And she thought, I can be talented too! I can be just like my big brothers! But you weren’t much better than the already established ultimate students, so you couldn’t prove your worth to Hope’s Peak. So you took up something new, something that nobody had ever become a Super High School Level at: glassblowing,” she finished buttering her toast, “Am I incorrect?”

“If you don’t shut up I’m gonna shove my foot up your-”

“And you use this trashy, punky look to warn people that you’re hard, but really, you need love and approval more than anyone here. And you’re afraid to admit it because you might get that same rejection that mommy and daddy gave you.”

Ginko stood to fight, but deflated. She sat back down, silent. Joben snickered an ‘I-told-you-so,’ which made Narumi turn to him, “Is it your turn now? Because I’ve got notes on you as well, Mr. Librarian.”

“Oh, do you psychoanalyze everyone without their permission? Meaning you’ve got dirt on each and every one of us?” Joben frowned, “Doesn’t look too good on you, Narumi. Especially when we’re playing a killing game.”

Narumi drained of color.

“Who else do you have figured out? Were you planning on telling them? Or do you just like keeping tabs?” Joben straightened the bookmark inside his book, “Do you guys like being analyzed by someone who just lives to peep and think she’s better than you?”

“I like it a whole lot better than listening to you,” my voice rose up in my throat like vomit. I wasn’t sure where my sudden bravery came from, but it continued as I strode toward Joben, who looked at me with intense eyes, “Yeah, it’s weird for her to take a look at us and pretend she understands us, but isn’t that her talent? Isn’t that what she’s supposed to do? You’re a librarian. Nothing about the job librarian comes with making people feel inferior. You’re just an elitist jerk who sits here spouting about how you’re better and smarter than everyone here! But really, you’re probably scared, just like the rest of us. So have some humility and humanity, and just be… I don’t know… Normal?”

The room was silent. Zuzu broke the silence in yelling, “Yeah! Fuck ‘im up!”

“Shut up, DJ,” Oda spat.

Hibiki stood, “Hey, leave him alone!”

“I wasn’t talking to you, was I?” Oda crossed her arms.

The fighting escalated to shouting from all kids. We were hurling insults left and right, displaying that maybe none of us were partial to anyone. There was just shouting over the long table between the sixteen up us, until the door to the mess hall burst open.

It was Monokuma.

“Hey kids!”

We just continued to argue, ignoring the split bear.

“What’s all this fighting about?” He asked.

None of us paid him any mind.

“You all seem to hate each other…”

More yelling.

“I don’t know if this motive will work.”

Ginko threw her bowl of rice at Oda, Oda screamed.

“Kids…?”

Shun called Mitsuo a ‘talentless shithead’ and Ami dumped soup onto Noboru’s lap.

“ENOUGH!” Monokuma yelled as he climbed on top of a trashcan, “You guys are ruining everything!”

It was effective. We were silent.

“Now if you would all sit down, shut up, and just listen to me! I’m here to make life at camp a little easier!”

None of us moved. Monokuma yelled, “SIT!”

We all sat.

“Thank you. Now… I know it’s futile to just expect you to just join in this killing game… despite what I just saw… And that’s why I’m giving you all a very special gift!”

“We don’t want it,” Noboru yelled.

“Now, now, listen,” Monokuma’s paws went behind his back, “I’m calling this motive ‘Friends For Life’! Do any of you guys wanna be friends for life?”

We all looked around at one another. My eyes locked with Oda’s, who narrowed hers and flared her nostrils at me.

“Uh, it’s not lookin’ too good. But maybe there are some… special cases. Like opposites attract! Did you know I had two students, these two boys, who were complete opposites in personality, and they _still_ ended up falling in love, I don’t even think they knew it was love. Too bad they didn’t have this perk. One was punished. One was murdered. But you can avoid that, you know? If you commit the murder, the person doesn’t even have to know a thing about it! Once you do, and you survive the trial, you get to take that cutie with you! Isn’t that nice of Camp Leader Monokuma?”

We were all silent.

“That’s horrific,” Gon said, standing, “You want us to place the life of one, over the lives of the other fourteen?”

“I mean, if you wanna get out of here.”

“I would rather die!” Haruka stood next to him.

“Then maybe you’ll be a victim!” Monokuma shrugged. Haruka shrunk back down into her seat, and Gon sat next to her, holding her shoulders.

Then Takumi stood and asked, “Where were the two students from?”

“What?” Monokuma put his paw to his face.

“The two boys who fell in love,” Takumi said, “They were your students, but they’re dead now. That means… You’ve played this game before.”

“Uhm,” Monokuma stood, and looked down at the ground. He tapped his paw to his lower lip, and then said, “That’s a good theory.”

“You son of a bitch!” Shun stood, his plate falling on the ground, “I’m gonna rip your furry little head off!” He stepped on the table, and walked over plates and glasses to the other side. Gurekuma ran into the mess hall, donned in a little white nurse’s dress, yelling, “No! Don’t!”

She hung onto one of his legs. He looked down at her artificial, pleading eyes, “You’ll be punished!”

Monokuma stood, motionless.

Shun realized that the bear was standing there because he had nothing to lose. Shun looked at him, then her, then back at him and said, “You’re fucking lucky, bear.”

“Yeah, sure, sure,” he stuck his claws out at the hairstylist, “If you think about trying something again… These claws are a lot sharper than any safety scissors you use, kid.”

“Safety scissors- tch…” Shun rubbed his thumb under his nose, “This bear doesn’t know shit.”

“Anyways, think about it! Maybe you can get outta here with the person of your dreams! Or a friend for life. Or a rich person who will be indebted to you for the rest of their miserable lives! Puhuhu!” He ran out of the mess hall, but this time, nobody even tried to chase him. We all stared at one another, cautious.

It was Monokuma’s plan, he wanted us to be cautious of one another, he wanted us to not be friends, he wanted us to be able to kill.

“Well, we all know what we have to do then,” Noboru said.

“What, are you gonna put a ban on friendship?” Cho narrowed her eyes.

“No,” Noboru said, “we should just seriously consider not hanging out in pairs. Groups of three. And no dating.”

“ _No dating?_ ” Gon said, before catching himself, “W-Why would any of us date?”

“It just makes it easier for you to want to escape with someone,” Noboru said, “No dating, no love, no pairs… That way none of us go killing for someone.”

“I don’t even think any of us should be going off together whatsoever,” Joben said, “We should either be together completely, or alone.”

“What, so you expect social isolation from us?” I asked.

“That wouldn’t be bright,” Narumi frowned, “Prolonged isolation can lead to a series of mental health issues.”

“Is that why you’re the way you are?” Ginko said, trying to be as harsh as Narumi made her feel, “No friends in middle school?”

Narumi sighed, “I apologize for my behavior, Ginko. I understand if you’d like to lash out at me.”

“I can hang out with whoever I wanna!” Afu stood, and headed to the door, so if anyone needs me, I’m gonna be at the ping-pong table by the locker rooms.” She left the building.

“Yeah, wait,” Shun stood, “making us separate and isolate and listen to the bears rules makes the bear more in charge than ever. Nobody’s gonna kill anyone. I’ll be backstage if anyone needs me.”

People began to rebelliously disappear, proving their independence from the rules. I ate in silence by Joben, whose eyes scanned a book, and returned to my room, unsure what to do.

 _Everyone’s right,_ I thought to myself, _Monokuma can’t take away my right to make friends. So what should I do today?_

__

**Students Remaining: 16**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double update :D


	5. Chapter One: One Time... At Despair Camp... (PART IV)

I had free time, so I might as well had shared it with someone. The first person on my mind was Mitsuo. He had been nice to me, and I thought there was something I could do to help him find out what his talent was, so I went searching for him.

Outside my cabin, Joben played horseshoes by himself. Gon and Haruka chatted, Gon nervously rubbing the back of his neck, and Haruka looking up at Gon with admiration. Zuzu, Hibiki, and Takumi were all attempting at splitting a pair of headphones without anyone being left out. I didn’t find Mitsuo until I reached the locker room area, where he watched Ginko and Afu play ping pong; he was rooting for Ginko, who was losing quite terribly.

“Hey,” I snuck up beside him, “Who’s winning?”

“I am!” Afu laughed, moving her paddle wherever the ball landed with ease, “Ginko’s not even putting up a fight!”

Ginko lept and dove to get the ball, and she huffed in return, “Oh you’re right… I’m not even… warmed up.”

Afu smacked the ball with a fatal swoop, and it flew past Ginko and rolled into the dirt.

“I’ll get it!” Ginko said, plopping the paddle down and walking after it.

Mitsuo looked at me with crossed arms and asked, “Did you want to ask me something?” He was smiling slightly. I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Did you want to hang out?” I asked.

Mitsuo’s face lit up, “You wanna hang out? Sweet! Wanna go to craft room with me?”

And so I did. We went through some of the arts and crafts supplies, and ended up drawing with felt tip markers on cardstock.

He held up his drawing- it wasn’t great.

“I guess I’m not the Ultimate Artist.”

It made me laugh. The picture was of a scrubbly creature with a sad face and five legs. I asked, “What is it?”

“It’s a dog!” Mitsuo’s eyebrows raised. He laughed off his embarrassment, maybe he was even laughing at my intense laughter too.

“Why does it have five legs?”

“That’s a tail!” He said, pointing to the back leg.

I almost fell out of my chair.

“Let me see yours then, if you’re so good!” he tried not to crack.

I held up my drawing. It was a flower and a spiral. He folded his arms and said, “I have nothing to say… that’s pretty good.”

I came down from my laughing high, and wiped one of my eyes from below my glasses, “Mitsuo, you crack me up… Oh! Which reminds me!” I reached into my bag, “I found this, and I wanted to give it to you, as a present!”

It was the book of 1000 Jokes to Tell at Parties. He raised his eyebrows when I handed it to him, and held the book in both his hands.

“Can I really have this?” He asked. I nodded. He lit up, “I used to have one of these as a kid… The jokes are so bad, which makes me laugh!” He looked down at the book, “You serve your purpose, little guy! I can’t wait to read you tonight!”

I smiled at him.

But he stared at the book for a few more seconds, and his smile faded.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I dunno,” he frowned, “I just feel… weird.”

“Weird how?”

“Like,” he looked up at me, “someone messed with my head. Someone erased the memories of what I’ve done- What we’ve all done, and now we’re here in some sick game with rules that are pitting us against one another. Like are you at all nervous that we’re alone together?”

“Why would I be?”

“Because what if I’m a murderer? Or what if we… Nevermind. It’s not important. Just thinking about my lost memory really bums me out.”

“Hey,” I put my hand on his shoulder, “We’re gonna jog your memory one of these days, okay? And for now, we’re just all gonna be good, normal high schoolers, who don’t murder or anything. We’re just at camp. So don’t worry. I believe in us, even if I have to do the believing for both of us.”

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Of course I am!” I said, “But it’s okay to admit that! We’re all in a scary situation, but we just gotta have a little bit of hope carry us through, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, then pat both his cheeks, “Yeah! You’re right!” He sprung from his chair and said, “I can’t get bogged down from this. I gotta have hope! Thank you Sen!”

“Don’t thank me,” I said, “Just promise me you won’t get bogged down by despair.”

“I promise!” he nodded and picked up his book, “I’m gonna go read this in my cabin. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

He left the crafting room, and I was alone. An eerie feeling overcame me, and I walked myself to the mess hall for lunch.

I had lunch alone; nobody was in the mess hall, and that eerie feeling still loomed, so I took my food into my cabin. I brought my tray back to the kitchen, where dishes were done by Gurekuma. She happily took my plate, and thanked me for eating a healthy lunch.

I went back to my room alone, and realized, there was still time in the day to burn, so I left my cabin.

Neighboring me on the other side was Narumi, who stood, watching the other campers.

“Are you analyzing people?”

She snapped back to reality, “No! Really! I am not!”

“It’s okay, I believe you. Just zoning out?”

“Yeah, quite a bit, actually,” she smiled, trying not to feel stupid, “Would you like to join me?”

I nodded, and with her in her room, with the door open, breathing in the nice mountain air. Her cabin was like mine, except a little more cramped, with a chaise lounge and a desk chair also crammed in there.

I dug through my bag and pulled out the package of clove gum and said, “Hey, I got this pack of gum, and I wanna give it to you.”

Narumi looked down at it, then back up at me, “How did you know I liked this stuff!” She slipped the thin packaging into her pocket.

We talked about the difference of our rooms for a few moments, but the stress seemed to get to her. She kicked off her shoes, and sat on the chaise lounge. She pressed her finger to her temple and sighed, “I just think this whole situation is going to be hard.”

“What? The being forced into murder school?”

She smiled, “Oh, that too…”

“Then what were you talking about?” I sat down in the desk chair. Our roles felt reversed.

“I just mean forbidden friendships. There is now a layer of guilt looming over everyone, whether it is purposed or not. Even those who act like they don’t care about this new murder motive will feel just a bit stranger knowing they are closer to someone than others, and that might make them both a target, or a causation of a classmates downfall,” she took a deep breath, and then let it out, “I’m just afraid that we as young adults won’t be able to strive in such a toxic environment.”

“I think everyone will be fine,” I tried not to look too puzzled.

She took one look at my face and chuckled under her breath, “You think I’m thinking too hard, don’t you?”

“N- I- Yeah,” I bit my lip.

“You also think I’m psychoanalyzing you, don’t you?”

I stood, trying not to look to obvious. I shrugged.

She laughed helplessly, “Do you want to know what I’m actually doing, Miss Oshiro?”

I nodded.

“I’m sharing my problems with a friend,” she smoothed out her blazer, “This morning, what I said to Ginko in front of everyone, that was deplorable behavior. My talent should not be used in such a way. I need to apologize to her.”

“Hey, Narumi?”

“Yes?”

“I think it’s really noble of you to admit that what you did was wrong.”

“Thank you Sen,” she smiled, “I think you’re a good judge of character.”

I was quiet for a moment, and then asked her, “How do you do that, anyways?”

“Do what?”

“Guess how someone works without knowing for sure.”

“It’s all context clues,” Narumi said, “I work off of how someone acts and presents themselves. I started my work in counseling when I was eleven. I used to be very bad at it, but over the years, I’ve grown to be quite good. Plus, I’ve met many girls that are exactly like Ginko. I don’t think what she’s doing is wrong, I just hope she seeks another way to sort out her issues.”

“Like through you?”

“If she can trust me enough,” Narumi smiled faintly. She stretched, and said, “Sen, I apologize, but I need to get dinner, and shower, and get ready for bed. Do you mind if we continue our chat another day?”

“Oh! Of course!” I nodded and stood, “I didn’t mean to overstay my welcome.”

“You’d never. You’re a very considerate girl, Sen.”

“Thank you.” I tried not to be too flattered by it.

Part of me wondered what Narumi truly thought of me, what she’d gathered by just looking at me, but it wasn’t the time to ask. I left her cabin, and met everyone else at the mess hall for dinner. It was a repeat of this morning, minus the fighting. But it was very obvious people had paired up, despite the rules. Cho and Ami’s arms were linked as they talked over bowls of food. Zuzu talked to Shun about how he did his hair in the morning, and Shun listened intently. Takumi and Hibiki put their chopsticks under their lips, pretending to be walruses fighting with their tusks. Afu pulled some of the clips off her head and put them on Ginko’s. Haruka fed Gon a large chunk of vegetable, and he chewed happily. Oda and Noboru discussed something quietly and seriously. Narumi walked past me and sat next to Joben, who raised an eyebrow at her. Mitsuo came up behind me and asked, “Looking for a dinner buddy?”

It was the opposite of our wishes, but all people need people. Segmenting into groups of two definitely made it look like Monokuma was winning, but at least we felt comfortable in the company we had.

I went back to my room that night, feeling full, fulfilled, and happy that I had people at camp to call my friends. As my head hit the pillow, I heard the familiar voice of our dastardly camp leader: “Good evening campers! It is now 11 o’clock, and officially night time. As a reminder, the backstage room, and the dining halls are now off limits, and their doors will be closed until morning. Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

I was strangely able to fall asleep quickly.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma sits by the fire in a green vest and hat, his weenies and marshmallows that had shared the same stick are charred and black.

“Have you ever been in love? I was in love once. It was awful. There’s something about love that’s so selfish and selfless, rewarding and unforgiving, hopeful and despair-inducing - It’s disgusting! How can something be polar all the time! Anyways, I’m glad she’s dead now. Whoof, could you imagine how crazy I’d be if she were still here?”

**Students Remaining: 16**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some freetime with Mitsuo and Narumi!!!  
> Please, if you have anyone you want to have a FTE, please let me know in the comments!!!


	6. Chapter One: One Time... At Despair Camp (PART V)

And life continues. I was, again, woken up by the morning announcement. Monokuma’s voice blared through my tablet speaker: “Goooood morning happy campers! It is now 8AM and nighttime is officially over! All rooms are now accessible. Have a wonderful day!”

I sat up, stretched, and looked out my window. Cho’s window was closed and the curtains were drawn. It was weird, having gone a day without talking to her, but I knew she liked Ami, and I was glad she was having fun.

I left my room to find Haruka and Gon sitting on one side of a picnic table, Gon’s head in Haruka's lap, and Haruka pulling Gon’s lips and cheek back to look at his teeth.

“Gosh, they’re fantastic. Do you floss daily?”

“Samtomsh twishe,” Gon tried to say, but Haruka’s fingers were still in his mouth.

“Did you get your wisdom teeth removed?”

“Yeah, pefor sey impacded,” Gon struggled to speak once more.

“Oh you’re so smart Gon!” Haruka was elated, “God I’ve just never seen such beautiful teeth!” She was smiling as wide as she could.

“Me neifer,” Gon said. Haruka removed her hands and looked at him with a beet red face. She laughed, slightly embarrassed, and looked back at me.

“O-Oh! Sen!” She waved me over.

Awkwardly, I walked to her and Gon. Gon sat up.

“Sen, look at Gon’s teeth!” she pointed. He barred his teeth at me.

“They look pretty… you know… teethy,” I said, unsure how to respond.

“Exactly! So pristine, so perfect! It’s like they’re made of marble!”

“Did you guys have breakfast yet?”

“Yeah,” Haruka nodded, “We ate awhile ago. We both had early schedules before we were put here, so we wake up at six naturally.”

“Six?” I gasped. I woke up to either my alarm, or my mom telling me to get out of bed.

“Yeah! You should try it! The outdoors are super nice at that time of morning,” Gon placed his hand on Haruka’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to pass,” I mustered a smile, “I’m gonna go grab something to eat. Have fun talking about teeth… I guess?” I waved at them, and made it to the mess hall.

When I walked in, both of Cho’s arms were around Ami, whose nose was red and raw. Her head darted up to me as the door opened, and Cho rubbed her back, “It’s okay Ami-U, it’s just Sen.”

It was just the two of them in the mess hall.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Ami wiped her nose on her arm and said, “N-Nothing. Can I get you something?”

“No, for real, it’s okay,” I said, heading toward the back.

When I opened the door, I saw Hibiki. As I was about to say something, he held a finger up to his mouth and looked at me with pleading eyes.

“What are you doing in here?” I asked, “Are you eavesdropping?”

“No!” He whispered, “I went back here for a snack, and that’s when Ami started crying. Cho thought they were alone, so I hid! I can’t leave now, not until they leave.”

I scoffed, “That sucks.”

“No, Sen, you don’t understand,” he pulled me close, “I have to pee.”

“Uh, I’m sorry?” I shrugged, “What do you want me to do?”

“Get them out of here!” He whispered, bouncing from leg to leg.

“Okay, okay, only because it’s an emergency.”

“You’re the best,” he said, holding the hem of his shirt.

I came back out into the hall and sat beside the both of them.

“Ami, I’m not going to ask you again,” I said, “You’re allowed to not want to tell me. But how about we just… uh, get rid of the bad air? You two are sitting, cooped up in this stuffy mess hall, why don’t we have a picnic on the docks!”

“That sounds really fun,” Cho squeezed Ami’s shoulders, “How about it, Ami?”

Ami’s head slowly rose, and she said, “I’m gonna go go wash my face, I’ll meet up with you guys, how’s that sound?”

“That sounds great,” Cho smiled sweetly. Ami peeled herself out of her chair and stumbled out of the room, completely overcome by sorrow.

“What happened?” I asked.

Cho looked at me with a frown, “I guess it just set in for her that we’re trapped. I’m not really sure.”

It was easy to tell Cho was lying. She knew exactly what Ami was upset about. But it wasn’t my business.

“Hey, how about you make sure Ami gets to her room okay, and I’ll make a picnic basket.”

Cho nodded, “Good idea,” she squeezed my hand in hers and stood, “You’re the best Sen.”

“Hey, thanks.”

Cho walked out of the room, and I waited a few seconds before shouting, “You’re good.”

Hibiki burst out of the back and ran to the front door, “Cho’s right, you really are the best Sen!”

I watched the door slowly close, then I went to the back to eat a piece of jam on bread and pack a picnic for the girls: watermelon spears, strawberries, edamame, a few pastries, and a couple of canned coffees with milk.

I came out holding all of the food on a tray, and Cho waved me over, holding a blanket from off her bed.

I joined her.

“Where’s Ami?”

“She decided to hang back. She’s just gonna stay inside and get some rest,” she scoped out the food on the tray, “At least I get to spend some time with you, Sen-O!”

I smiled and partook in the food with her. She dug in, explaining, “I didn’t even get breakfast. I’ve just been with Ami all morning. God, I’m so hungry.”

It seemed both of us were hungry, because we just ate in silence. Cho turned to me and said, “I didn’t get to talk to you last night! What were you up to?”

“Oh, nothing… I just hung out with Mitsuo and Narumi.”

“Narumi?” Cho raised an eyebrow, “She seems… nice?”

“She is nice,” I nodded, “I don’t think she likes to be thought of as judgemental.”

“Then maybe she shouldn’t be judgemental,” Cho shrugged, “Just a thought.”

I shrugged slightly, and put a grape in my mouth. Cho was silent. She was staring at her shoes. On one foot, the laces were knotted in a big ball, on the other, the laces were undone. I thought, perhaps she was going to fix them, but instead she sat staring.

“Cho?”

Her head darted up, “Yeah, Sen-O?”

“Are you okay?”

She frowned, “I mean… It’s okay to be not okay, right? Especially in situations like this.” She tucked her knees into her chest and took a deep breath, burying her head between her knees, “I don’t know. Just the fact that it sunk into Ami that we’re gonna be here forever… It makes me realize we _are_ going to be here forever. Like, nobody can kill each other, so this is our only option… It just feels… Hopeless.”

I leaned into her, “Hey, just… Okay, my dad used to say stuff like this with me… Think of the worst case scenario-”

“I get murdered.”

“N-”

“And the murderer gets away with it and gets to escape.”

I sat up, exasperated, “That’s not going to happen! By worst case scenario, I mean we’re stuck here. The sixteen of us live the rest of our lives here. But that’s not _horrible_. I mean, we’re all friends, sorta… And you’ve got Ami, eh, _eh?_ And me too, of course,” I butted her lightly with my elbow.

She mustered a laugh, but held her knees tighter, “I’m just nervous of an even worse case.”

“Nobody here would do such a thing,” the both of us scanned the area we were in, “Nobody.” Cho rested her head on my shoulder, and said, “I know you’re right. It’s just all so disheartening.”

I pet her head slightly and she settled a little more. It was good knowing she was a little more at ease than before. I just hoped Ami found some peace as well. I put my arm around her and gave her a little squeeze, “And hey, you know that we probably won’t have to be here forever, forever, right? Someone’s _bound_ to find us out here.”

“Yeah,” Cho slapped both of her cheeks and sat up straight, “You’re right. Our parents have to be out looking for us. They’ve probably assembled search teams and everything. It’s only a matter of time.”

She picked up a canned coffee and stood up. As she opened it, she bent over to help me stand as well, spilling the coffee all over my cardigan.

“Oh shit!” she gasped, instinctively dropping the can, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”

I was covered in coffee, and while it smelled quite nice, it wasn’t what I wanted most in the world. And, of course, I didn’t bring napkins.

Cho was holding her hand to her mouth looking at me with apologetic eyes, “I really didn’t mean to, oh my God!”

“It’s okay Cho, really, it was an accident!” I looked for something to pat it off with, but, to my luck, I completely forgot them.

“Shit, here- uh… Gimme your room key, I’ll go grab you another sweater,” she picked up the can and set it upright.

“Uh, sure,” I dug in my bag and handed her my key.

She was gone for no longer than a minute, rushing back to me with a clean cardigan and my room key. It was a nice thought, but my undershirt and pants also got a coffee bath.

“Jeez, I’m so sorry Sen… Maybe you should just take a shower,” she frowned.

I shrugged, “You’re probably right. I need one anyways- I didn’t shower last night.”

Cho pinched her nose and smiled with a stuck-out tongue, “Ew, go shower stinky. I’ll get this area cleaned up. Also, leave your crummy sweater here, and I can put it in the laundry basket in the locker room for you.”

“Are you sure?” I frowned. I didn’t want her to feel so bad for something that was completely accidental.

“I gotta do it for my blanket anyways,” she shrugged.

So I handed it over, and went back to my room for a shower.

I liked showers, mostly for the fact that it was like a think chamber. I solved a lot of personal problems, as well as did a lot of interviews, performed a lot of concerts, and accepted a lot awards, in the shower. But taking a shower after seeing Cho so disheartened didn’t lead to me solving problems. It lead to me overthinking. There was a high chance that me and my fellow campers were going to die at that camp. Whether it be of old age or foul play was the real question. And I was afraid of the answer.

But the longer I thought of my own demise, the longer I stayed there, comforted by the closed in warmth that was the shower.

At least in there I felt safe perfectly safe.

But I couldn’t stay holed up in my room forever.

After my shower, I left my room to find something to do. I had monocoins to spend, so I headed over to the monovendo machine to try my luck. The equipment room was empty. Two inner tubes were checked out by Hibiki and Zuzu.

I was glad they were getting along.

I dug in my coin purse and pulled out a coin. I placed it in, and the screen lit up with a one, and beside it, the words _Duplicate Chance: 01.32%_. Below that, it said _VEND_. I placed another coin, and the duplicate went down to 00.00 once more.

I pressed vend, and out from the bottom came a pack of rainbow toe socks.

I placed three more coins in, and tried for one more prize. Out from the bottom came a small, thin, sleek booklet. The top read: _100 Bold Colors for a Sweet, Sexy You_. I opened it, and it was a palette of eyeshadows that were pretty outrageous colors, though I could think of a few people who could pull it off.

I tried once more, and out from the machine fell a yellow wax candle with an etching of a book on the glass. I held the candle in front of my nose- It smelled of old books. I wasn’t much of a reader, but I could see why that was a comforting smell.

I put the items in my shoulder bag, and went back to the rows of cabins. I didn’t really know what was on my agenda for the day.

I was looking for someone to spend my time with; and the first person I saw was, strangely, Joben.

We locked eyes for a moment, and then he waved me over.

I looked around, and then pointed to myself. He rolled his eyes and waved me over once more.

“Yeah?” I asked, heading toward him.

“I wanted to show something to you,” he said, his upper lip stiff and annoyed, “Only if you’ve got time to spend.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend time with Joben. After all, he was a class-A jerk. But I knew if any of us were going to survive, we’d all have to get along, no grudges.

And hell, I had free time to spend.

“Yeah, sure, we can hang out,” I shrugged, but was a little unnerved when he held the door open to his cabin, “Uh, in there?”

“I’m not going to assault you,” Joben rolled his eyes, “Just come in.”

So I did. His cabin was like mine, except the rug on his floor was dark blue, and one of his walls was entirely a bookshelf, stocked completely with books.

“Can I make you a tea?”

“Uh,” I paused a moment and sat down in a chair in his room.

He poured two cups of hot water from his electric kettle and said, “Just take the tea.”

“Okay…”

We made small talk for a moment over tea. I was growing uncomfortable with the idea that he wanted to show something to me. But that melted away with boring conversation about my job and his job.

It reminded me that I had a gift fitting for him.

“Oh wait,” I dug in my purse, “I got this, and thought of you.” I handed him the yellowish candle.

He turned it over in his hands to see the etching, and then smelled it. His eyes lit up in an almost beautiful nostalgia and admiration for the smell. He said, “That’s- That’s very thoughtful of you, Sen. I may have misjudged you.”

I chuckled a little, knowing he didn’t mean it nearly as rude as it came out.

My eyes scanned his room. Each book on the shelf was neatly organized and put in its proper place. I gasped, “Wow Joben, are these all yours?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about…” Joben bit his lip as he set his cup of tea down, “But it’s tricky, considering…” His eyes flashed up to the camera in the corner of his room.

“Oh, uh,” I wasn’t quite sure what he was saying. I didn’t know if he didn’t want Monokuma to know his secret, of if the secret was against Monokuma.

“Can you… write it down?”

“I can just… I’ll just show you,” he said, and removed a book from the shelf. It was blue with a black half circle on the cover on the cover. It was titled: The Rising Sun.

“Hey,” I pointed, “I never got to read that! My friend recommended that book like a bazillion times and I never read it!”

“Yes,” he said, his voice shaky, “it’s a wonderful book. I had it at home in my personal library. And at first, I thought… Well, it’s not hard to replicate my a piece of my personal library because I have an extensive collection but…”

He opened the cover. There was a tiny card inside a little protector. The protector had a stamp that said Property of J. Suzuki.

“So that’s really from your collection,” I whispered.

“It appears, because my father had that rubber stamp custom made for me. It’s exactly the same. But that’s not the weirdest part,” he pulled the time card out of the sleeve and showed it to me. My eyes scanned down the names: H. Yoshikawa, B. Togami, F. Kirino, N. Abe, S. Oshiro.

“ _S. Oshiro!_ ” I gasped.

He nodded.

“That’s… That can’t be me, right?” I shook my head, “There’s bound to be another S. Oshiro. Sakura maybe? Sayaka, er, Seiko?”

“I don’t… I don’t know for sure. But,” he scanned the shelf with his hand, and pulled out another book. It had a red and blue cover with the title in a star.

“ _Red Demon, Blue Angel..._ I heard that one was good too!”

“Yeah well,” he pulled out another time card, and I read the names: K. Endo, J. Sakakura, N. Mishima, O. Minamimoto, S. Oshiro, M. Ito.

Oda, Mitsuo, and I all checked out that book.

“Shit,” I swore. There was no way these were coincidence.

“And this is your handwriting?”

“One hundred percent,” he nodded, “These are _my_ books. From _my_ home. And these time cards… I don’t know what they mean. But perhaps we knew each other before all of this. Perhaps we were… well, I don’t think I’d be friends with the likes of you all, but…”

“I get it,” I forced myself from rolling my eyes, “But this means… Mitsuo lost his memory of his talent… Maybe we all did too.”

“I am very aware of my tal-”

“Not of our talents,” I interrupted, “Our memories of each other.”

Joben put his finger to his lips and said, “That’s a possibility.” He put his books away.

“Hey Joben,” I said, “Why did you show me, of all people?”

He bit his lower lip and paused. He continued, “I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a fool… But I went through all of these time cards. Your name appeared the most. You checked out fifty books from me Sen. That means, if your theory is correct, we must have spent some time together. And that means… Well, I’m predispositioned to trust you over every other lowlife here.”

“Awe, were you being nice?” I laughed, “Did it hurt?”

“Shut it,” his mouth thinned to a straight line. He collected the teacup from me and said, “I think it’s best you leave, before anyone thinks we’re getting chummy.”

I shrugged and nodded, but before I left I gave Joben a firm handshake, “Thanks for showing me this. I’m not one-hundred percent sure what it means, but- I dunno, being aware that something, some sort of something, is going on… It feels like we’re more ready for anything Monokuma throws our way!” I smiled brightly at him.

He raised an unimpressed eyebrow at me, but a small smile twinged on the corners of his lips, “Alright, get out. You’re already being sentimental.”

I left his room and walked across the hall, heading to my own room, when I saw Zuzu hanging out by himself at a picnic table.

I walked over to him, and he looked up at me with his sunny smile and bright eyes. I sat across from him and said, “Hey Zuzu, mind if I sit?”

“Hey there cutie,” he smiled and knocked his knuckles against the picnic table, “What’s up?”

I hadn’t seen Zuzu alone since the first day at camp. I thought I would hang out with him.

“I just wanted to hang out with you.”

“No shit?” Zuzu asked with a smile on his lips, “Wanna listen to some tunes with me?”

So I did. I listened to a couple remixes Zuzu made. They were nothing short of extraordinary, which should’ve been expected of the super high school level DJ. He was so dorky, dancing and humming along with the music, he even made us share the earbuds.

A song ended, and he turned off his mp3 player before another song could start, “Yo Sen, d’you have anything to play music with in your cabin?”

“No,” I shook my head with a frown, “but listening to music with you has been nice!”

“Shit,” he winked at me, “Well you can listen to my music whenever.”

Zuzu was such a kind soul. I reached into my bag and pulled out the rainbow toe socks. Zuzu took one look at them and said, “Those are dope! What’re they for?”

“I thought you’d like them,” I smiled, “I want you to have them.”

“For me?” his entire face it up, “Shoot Sen, how would’ya even know I wanted something like this?”

“Lucky guess.”

He folded them into his lap and said, “Hey, I have a question.”

“What’s that?”

“So you do marriage stuff,” he said, “and that means you go to a lot of weddings, right?”

“Yeah!”

“So if you go to a lot of weddings, you attend a lot of wedding parties! Wedding parties have disc jockeys at them all the time! Who’s your favorite been? Have you heard DJ PandeMidnight? Or DJ Docta Lessthanthree?”

“Actually,” I laughed, scratching the side of my face, “I don’t really go to the parties.”

“ _What?_ ” Zuzu’s jaw dropped, “They don’t invite you?”

“No, no! It’s not that I don’t get invited, it’s just… Uh, I don’t know. I just don’t feel like I belong.”

“Sen! You one-hundred-percent belong there! Without you, there wouldn’t be no marriage. You are the _reason_ for the _season_ , my girl!”

I shrugged and laughed.

“No, I’m bein’ one hundred percent serious!” Zuzu furrowed his brow, “Yeah, obviously the bride and groom are the main event, but you bring the main event. If you weren’t there to say ‘You may kiss the bride’ their marriage wouldn’t exist! Sen, when we get outta here… Promise me you’re gonna party it up at every wedding you go to!”

“Zuzu, I-”

“I’m not gonna take no for an answer, Sen!”

I cracked a smile, “Then I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“Yes! Yes! That’s what I like to hear!” Zuzu stood up and cheer and held his hand out for a high five. His energy, his happiness, his attitude: they were all infectious. I couldn’t help but smile back.

And, of course, return the high five.

After dinner, I was surprised by Cho stopping by to hang out.

She stayed in my room for hours, just sitting and talking to me. She told me she did the stained load of laundry, and checked on Ami, who apparently slept the day away.

We were laying down in my bed, talking about our families, friends, and lives before the forced camp, until suddenly, she sat up in my bed and looked at the analog clock that hung in my room, “Shit! Look at the time!”

It was ten-thirty.

“I should really get going. I’m tired and I gotta shower anyways,” she stood and gave a good stretch which exuded a loud yawn from her and picked up my tablet, “Do you want me to plug this in?”

I rolled in my bed, getting comfortable under the sheets, “Yeah, please.”

She plugged it in for me, and knelt beside my bed, “Goodnight Sen.” She gave me a tight hug.

“Goodnight Cho!”

“I’m gonna lock your door for ya, you know, just in case,” Cho said as she walked out.

From my window, I saw Cho plug in her tablet, wave me goodnight, turn off her light, and crawl into bed.

I was cozy in my position under my sheets. It took no time for me to fall asleep.

I was woken up by a knock at my door. My mind was fuzzy, I was still half asleep, but I managed to crawl out of bed and answer the door.

It was Mitsuo.

He looked at me, red in the face, and averted his eyes upward.

“Mitsuo,” I said groggily, “What- What’re you doing here?”

“I found your sweater, uh, hanging on the clothesline… And, uh, sorry- Could you like- Wrap this around your waist or something?”

I looked down. I had kicked off my trousers in my sleep. I wasn’t naked, but Mitsuo had definitely seen my underwear.

“What are you doing here?” I immediately woke up, holding the sweater in front of me.

“I’m sorry! I saw your sweater on the clothesline and it was dry! Cho told me earlier what happened.”

“Why are you outside? It’s nighttime!”

“No it’s not- I,” he dug in his bag, “I left my tablet in my cabin today. What time is it?”

I pointed to my analog clock.

“Eleven-forty-five!” he closed his bag, “Jeez, sorry! I’m gonna jet. Go back to sleep!” He backed up away from my front door.

“Yeah, you get some rest too,” I called to him as he walked home.

I looked at the cabins for a moment. Most of the lights were out. Joben’s was still on; probably doing some night reading.

I crawled back into bed and immediately fell asleep.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma sits by the fire in a green vest and hat, holding a s’more that contains charred marshmallow, chocolate, charred campfire weenies, and a slice of swiss cheese between two graham crackers.

“I’ve never liked books. I like to see what’s in front of me as it happens. Why let fiction be fiction? Make reality out of your books. If you read a book where a bunch of teenagers are forced into killing one another, you should give me a call. That’s why these killing games are so much fun: this is my reality!”

  
**Students Remaining: 16**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> late night updates. I'm about four chapters ahead still!!!


	7. Chapter One: One Time... At Despair Camp (PART VI)

I woke up right before the morning announcement played from my tablet: “Goooood morning happy campers! It is now 8AM and nighttime is officially over! All rooms are now accessible. Have a wonderful day!”

I showered, got dressed, and headed out to the mess hall.

What I saw shocked me.

Everyone in the mess hall was having a family-style, jovial meal. Pitchers were being passed, conversation was being had by everyone, and Ami was checking that everyone still had full plates. Cho looked at me with bright eyes as I walked in, “Finally, Sen!”

“What’s going on?”

“Mitsuo and Ami have been cooking all morning! They made a feast for us!”

Ami laughed, “We’re no Ultimate Chefs, but we did get the job done.”

“Everything’s real good!” Afu called out with a full mouth. Ginko belched in agreement.

“Hey, where’s Zuzu?” I scanned my eyes along the table.

“Probably sleeping in,” Hibiki said, “the guy’s a total night owl. He goes _hard._ ”

Shun raised an eyebrow and looked at Ginko. Ginko barked out in laughter, “What the _fuck_ are you tryin’ ta say there, podcaster?”

“Wh- What? Not like- Don’t make it weird!” Hibiki scowled, his face turning furiously red.

“By the sounds of it, we don’t have to _make_ anything weird,” Shun said, pointing at him, “You’re super red dude.”

“Cause you’re making it weird!” Hibiki stood, “I’ll- I’ll just go get him.”

“I’ll go with you,”Narumi stood, “Someone should also get Joben, whether he likes us, or not.”

“Oh shit,” Noboru looked around, “I didn’t even notice the jackass wasn’t here.”

“Hey, be nice,” Ami said, “He’s a huge jerk, but maybe he just needs friends.”

“He’s horrible to you!” Cho furrowed her brow, “That guy can go fuck himself. If he wants to miss a good breakfast among friends, we shouldn’t force him to come.”

“Joben… I think he’d appreciate being here,” I said.

Cho’s jaw dropped. Ami smiled at me.

“I’ll go with Hibiki to get Zuzu,” Takumi said, “Sen, how about you go with Narumi?”

“Yeah, okay,” I said. Nervousness bubbled in my stomach. I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable when they were usually present for breakfast.

The four of us walked out of the dining hall together. Zuzu was at the beginning of the hall of cabins. Joben was toward the middle. We walked past the boys who stood in front of Zuzu’s cabin, knocking.

Narumi was the first to knock. First, very professionally. Just a few knocks and her peeping, “Joben, we’d enjoy it if you joined us for breakfast.” but the silence became worrysome. Her knocks were louder and more demanding. “Joben!”

We heard a shocked scream from the boys. We took off running toward the two, who covered their eyes.

What I saw… Well… It wasn’t what I expected.

Azumamaro Mori laid face down in his bed, with his bare ass in the air.

Narumi gasped, I turned away.

Hibiki called with his hands over his eyes, “Zuzu! Why don’t you lock your door?”

A loud snore escaped Zuzu and he startled awake. He rolled over groggily, putting a pillow over his indecency, “What’s everyone doin’ in my room?”

“Why are you naked?” Takumi asked, finally uncovering his eyes, “And why’s your door unlocked?”

“What, you don’t sleep comfortably?” Zuzu scooted toward his bed, “I probably just forgot about my door. My bad. And it’s just me guys. Got nothin’ to hide your eyes from.”

Hibiki uncovered his eyes as well, “Get some pants on!”

“What’s goin’ on?” Zuzu asked with a yawn.

“We’re all,” I tried not to laugh, “having a nice classmate breakfast in the mess hall.”

“Oh shit, tight! Everyone’s finally decided to be chill to each other?” He smiled.

“Everyone except Joben,” Takumi said.

“Eh, the bro’ll come around.”

“He’s not even answering the door,” Narumi’s voice sounded as nervous as my stomach felt.

“Lemme get some pants on,” Zuzu said, “I can annoy him so good, he’ll have to open up.”

And Zuzu was as annoying as he promised. He beatboxed, banging on the door with the rhythm of his beat, for well over five minutes.

“Hey, wait,” Hibiki called over Zuzu’s beatboxing, “The win- Zuzu can you stop?”

“Oh sorry dude,” Zuzu ceased.

“The window’s open a bit,” Hibiki slipped his fingers under the crack. It wouldn’t open much more than the size of a fist, and the curtains were in the way.

“Hey Sen,” Hibiki said, trying to force his arm in but getting stuck at his elbow, “You’ve got pretty skinny arms. You think you can open the door?”

“The jerk’s probably got earplugs in for sleeping,” Takumi said.

I reached my hand in, and unlocked the door from the inside.

Takumi pushed open the door and gasped, “Oh-Oh my God.”

Narumi screamed.

I looked into the room, and it was simple.

He was dead on the floor.

The first victim of Hope’s Peak Talent Boot Camp of Mutual Killing: Joben Suzuki, Super High School Level Librarian.  
  
“No,” Zuzu looked like he was about to throw up, “no, no, no. This is a joke… Dude, this is so uncool.”

Takumi took a step closer to his body. The knife in his chest was still sticking straight out. Books were scattered about his room. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“J-Joben…” my knees buckled as my, and everyone in the room’s tablet buzzed, even Joben’s.

“Attention everyone! A body has been discovered! Please head to Joben Suzuki’s cabin,” Monokuma called.

It took mere seconds for everyone else to arrive. Monokuma and Gurekuma were the last people to arrive.

“Wh-Wha-What!” Gurekuma stared at the body, “Th-The nurse is here to administer CPR!”

“It’s not going to work, you idiot!” Monokuma laughed, revealing his full set of teeth, “He’s dead as a doornail!”

“Joben!” Ami gasped, “Wh- He- Oh my God!”

We all stood in the room, a little cramped. Shun went to pick up a book, but Mitsuo stopped him, “Wait, wait, this is a crime scene! Don’t touch anything!”

“Bingo, my talentless boy!” Monokuma rubbed his paws together, “Now I have to explain to you shits what’s what!”

“What’s what?” Oda asked.

“You don’t just get to _murder_ and get out of here!” Monokuma laughed, “What were you thinking? Right now, you living students have to conduct an investigation of the crime scene. When I say _When_ , we’re all going to do a trial and vote who we think the murderer, or the blackened, is. If you little punks are right, we’ll punish the blackened. If you punks are wrong, the blackened gets away! Hows that sound?”

“Horrible!” Ami said.

“So let’s start up the investigation with this!” Monokuma handed me a file, “It’s _The Monokuma File!_ ”

“The Monokuma file?” I asked.

“It’s a dissection of the crime scene,” Oda snatched the file from my hands.

“See ya’, kids,” Monokuma waved, “Have fun! Make sure to check thoroughly, your life depends on it!” Monokuma walked out of the room.

“Alright,” Oda swallowed, “I’m just going to read from the file… _The victim is Joben Suzuki, the Super High School Level Librarian. The victim’s body was found in his own cabin. The estimated time of death is 10:20 PM. The victim was stabbed through the chest, puncturing a lung, resulting in his death. Aside from that, no other injuries or substances, such as poisons, have been detected._ ”

Gon knelt by the body, “The sternum was broken. His lung was punctured. He essentially drowned on land.”

Haruka looked at him with sad eyes, “H-He drowned?”

“He suffered,” Gon nodded, “if the killer stuck around, they would’ve watched him suffer.”

“Suffered,” Shun swore under his breath, “Son of a bitch- Who did it?” He looked around the room, “Which one of you pieces of shit killed him? Let him suffer?”

We were all silent.

“Fuck you, fuck all of you!” Shun screamed.

“Shun, please,” Narumi pleaded, “It’s- It’s scary, I know. But we just- we have to stay calm.”

“You were jus’ cryin’ a minute ago!” Shun grabbed Narumi by the lapels of her coat, “How the fuck am I supposed to stay calm!”

“Because being calm is the only way we can do a good job of investigating,” Mitsuo put his hand on his shoulder.

“I gotta get out of here,” Ami held her head, “I can’t- Can I step out? I’ll come back in if you need me?”

“Yeah,” Cho held her arm, “Let’s get you some air.”

Oda scoffed to herself as Zuzu and Hibiki left as well. The rest of us rounded the room. Afu, Oda, and Mitsuo were crouched by the body. Afu pulled a tube of lipstick out of her bag and began to trace the body.

“Wh-What the hell are you doing?” Oda said.

“Tracing the body!” Afu said, self assured, “They do it in the movies!”

“That’s so they can send the body to the morgue,” Oda narrowed her eyes at Afu, “Don’t mess anything up- Just inspect the body.”

I knelt with them.

“So this was a locked door murder,” I pointed out.

“Not really,” Oda said, “The doors don’t have to be locked from the inside. You can lock them while they’re opened. The lock mechanism just makes it so you can’t turn the handle. It’s not a bolt-lock.”

“Oh,” I said, feeling stupid. I made a mental note of of **how the door locked**.

Mitsuo looked at me with worried eyes, but when my eyes met his, they darted back down.

“He’s in his pajamas,” Mitsuo said.

“What does that mean?” Afu said.

“It means he was getting ready for bed.”

I guess that was true, I just wasn’t sure how important **Joben being in his pajamas** was.

“This knife is from the kitchen,” I said, “I remember because I made a picnic yesterday… All the knives from the kitchen have light brown handles.”

I had to remember the **kitchen knife**.

“Oh yeah,” Mitsuo said, “We’ll have to make a stop by the kitchen to make sure.”

“There’s something in his hand,” Oda said, lifting his arm by the sleeve, “Who wants to do the honors?”

We all looked at one another.

“I got it,” Oda rolled her eyes. His hand was still limp. She pulled the ball from his fist and revealed a small piece of paper, covered in blood.

“It’s a piece of paper,” her brow knit together, “His blood is on it.”

“Here,” Afu grabbed the piece of paper, “It’s page three and four of a book, but,” she flipped over the page, “the blood doesn’t spell something out or anything. It’s like he wiped himself up with it.”

“His hands are stained,” Mitsuo said, “But not caked. I think we can assume he wiped his hands with the page.”

So he used the **page like a napkin**.

I looked at my side of the body. There was a book partially underneath him.

“Does anyone wanna help me pick him up a little?” I asked with a grimace. Afu nodded, and helped me roll him over slightly to pull the book out from underneath him.

I stared at the title.

_The Setting Sun._

I opened it up. It still had its third and fourth page.

“Is it a clue?” Oda asked. I swallowed.

“I don’t know what it’s about if you’re asking,” I said, “But… I’m not going to hide this. It has my name in this book. He showed me that yesterday. My name, written on the time card, is slotted into this book.” I pulled out the time card and pointed out my name.

“Oh,” Oda said, “This doesn’t look good for you.”

“We’re not done,” Mitsuo said, “We can’t base this solely on one time card. Though, this might… This might be evidence.”

So **The Rising Sun book** was evidence.

“I understand,” I nodded, “I didn’t want to hide it, if that means anything to you guys.”

“It does-”

“It doesn’t,” Oda said.

I stood to investigate the bookcase with Ginko, Takumi, and Gon. There were books that were scattered about the room, and books sticking out of the shelves.  
Ginko and Takumi were picking up books.

“Anything weird with those books?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Takumi said, “They all have time cards inside them with our names on them.” He flipped one open, “See like, me, Oda, Narumi, fuck, even Zuzu has one. Were these books he wanted us to read?”

I took that down in my head as **Takumi’s account.**

“Uh, no… He said… He told me yesterday that they were there before he even met us… Like, we checked them out before we were here.”

“What?” Gon gasped.

“I don’t really know, like” I took the book and opened it, “Oda, have you read _So Lingers The Ocean_ by Toko Fukawa?”

Oda’s face scrunched up, “The fisherman romance? No. Why?”

“See?” I pulled the card out of the book. Her name was on it, among other names.

“Wh-What’s that supposed to mean? I wouldn’t read a gushy thing like that!” Oda said, her face tinging pink.

“I didn’t think so,” I said, “but there’s a record of you checking it out. Just like my name’s in that other book.”

“I hadn’t said a word to Joben,” Oda shook her head, “Nor did I check out a book from him.”

“I believe you,” I said, “That’s what makes this so weird.”

So the **books on the floor** were something to think about.

I looked at the books on the shelf, most of them were in the orientation they were meant to be in the shelf. Others were turned on their spine, sticking out of the book case longways.

Of the ones sticking out of the bookcase, three had blood on them.

I took the bloody ones out.

“What do you think the blood means?” Ginko asked.

“I don’t know,” I frowned.

I opened one to see it who it had been checked out by: _H. Ueno, C. Yukizome, A. Uchida._

I flipped through the pages, to find that it was the book that the third page was missing from.

I looked at the title: _House of Vagrants._

I looked at the second book. It was checked out by: _R. Mitarai, M. Asano, T. Chikatilo, M. Gekkogahara._

I flipped for a missing page: the book was completely in tact.

The book was titled _On and In Love._

The third blood spotted book was only checked out by one person: me.

It, too, had no other missing pages. It was titled: _See_.

I made a mental note of the **blood touched books.**

“Hey Oda,” I asked, “Can I see the missing page? I found the book it belonged to.”

Oda stood up and walked beside me, “What do you think it means?”

“I’m- I’m not too sure,” I looked at the three books, but these are the books that were painted with blood.”

Oda’s eyes scanned them and said, “Okay. Show me the pages before and after the missing page.”

The final line at the bottom of the second page read “It was strange to have met-”. The first line at the top of the fifth page said, “-she listened to me. I had to give her thanks.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Oda threw her head back in exasperation, “We’re gonna die here!”

I wasn’t sure if it meant _nothing_ , I made a mental note of it: **message from page 2 to 5.**

“Hey,” Noboru came out of the bathroom, “Check this out. I found it in the shower, with water ran over it.” He handed me a wadded piece of paper.

“It definitely came from Joben’s notebook,” Noboru said. Oda walked toward it.

The water distorted most of the message. The only words I could make out were _recommend, one,_ and _Finger._

I had to remember the **wadded note.**

“Interesting,” Mitsuo said.

“I don’t… I don’t get any of this,” I frowned, “I’m gonna go ask everyone if they’re okay.” I said. Haruka joined me.

Shun was crying in Narumi’s arms outside the cabin. It was weird to see such a big man so deflated in the arms of a tiny woman. She pet him and said, “There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

“Are you okay Sen?” Haruka asked me. She placed a hand on my back.

“I’m not sure,” I said with a frown, “I just feel like I’m not cut out for investigating a murder. I don’t- I can’t believe he’s dead.”

“I can’t either,” Haruka said, “I know he was a little rough around the edges… but nobody deserves to die. Nobody deserves to suffer either.”

“He was figuring something out,” I frowned, “Something that made the mysteries of this camp a little less mysterious. He was a jerk, but… Well, he was trying. Haruka… I don’t want to believe someone here did it.”

She bit her lip, looking dejected, “Me either but… I also think that whoever did this to Joben deserves some sort of justice. I’m not one for ‘an eye for an eye’, but murder amongst friends? It’s terrifying.”

I nodded in agreement. Zuzu, Hibiki, Ami, and Cho were standing outside the dining hall, talking to one another.

“Hey Sen,” Cho said, wiping her nose on the side of her hand, “How’s the investigation going?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “not well on my part. I don’t know anything.”

“Hey,” she put her hand on the side of my face, “none of us were meant to do this shit. We’re not police workers or detectives. I think us waiting out here is a perfectly viable option.”

“Hey, you know what we can do, without having to look at the body?” Hibiki asked, “We can gather alibis! I was- Oh shit. I don’t have an alibi.”

“I don’t either,” Ami frowned.

“I was with you Sen, until about 10:30-10:45 PM,” Cho said, “So we’re each other’s alibis.”

“Gon’s my alibi,” Haruka nodded, “He walked me home from the craft room when we heard the nighttime announcement.”

“Takumi’s my alibi,” Zuzu said, and then raised his eyebrows in realization, “Oh shit… And Noboru too. He stopped by to tell us to shut the fuck up, and hung around until about 10:25 ish. Went back into his room, never came out.” Zuzu laughed a deep laugh, “Good lil’ dude.”

“What were you doing with them?” Hibiki asked.

“Oh, Tak’s and I were playin’ with some tunes too loud. Noboru came over and stayed for about ten just to yell. That boy’s face can get _red._ ”

Haruka looked at me, “Do you wanna gather everyone else’s alibis?”

So we headed back to the cabin.

On the way back, Haruka tugged on my sleeve, “I just remembered something. I’m not one to pick one people… but, uh, I saw Ami last night. It was sometime before the nighttime announcement. She was running, full speed, back to the cabins. She was wrapped up in a blanket.”

My brows knit together and I stopped in my place, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I don’t wanna pick on her! I don’t think she did it!”

“I- Okay.” I sighed. I needed to remember **Haruka’s account.**

“Hey,” I said as I walked in, “We’re collecting alibis. So far, we’ve got Gon and Haruka were in the craft room until the nighttime announcement. Takumi, Zuzu, and Noboru were together at the time of the murder. Cho and I were in my room as well. Ami and Hibiki admit they don’t have alibis.”

Ginko snorted and pressed her pointed and middle finger to either side of her mouth. Shun swallowed laughter.

“Me, Afu, Ginko, and-” Shun began.

“I don’t have an alibi,” Oda interrupted, deadpan.

“Uh,” Shun said, “Me, Afu, and Ginko were in backstage until it closed. Then we hung out on the mainstage until nighttime.”

“I don’t… I mean,” Mitsuo bit his lip, “You saw me at like- 10:45 Sen. There’s no way I could clean up that easy after a murder.”

“You saw me at 11:45,” I said, “I was sleeping, remember?”

He paused, then averted his eyes from me.

I, too, remembered. I answered the door in my underwear. I shook off the embarrassment running down my spine.

“I don’t have an alibi either-” Narumi began, but she was interrupted.

“HEY!” Monokuma barked, “Gathering alibis sounds like something you’d do in the courtroom!”

Noboru crossed his arms, “Do you even have a courtroom, bear?”

“I do! And you know, I’m gonna have to say you folks are fresh out of time!” He mimicked the sound of a sport buzzer.

“Wait, what?” Gon said, “We- We’re not done!”

“You’re done when I say you’re done!” Monokuma laughed, “And I say you’re all done!” He spoke into his paw as if it were a microphone, and the sound came out of our tablets, “Attention campers! Could you please make your way to the chapel for our very first class trial. All students to the chapel for the class trial, thank you!” Monokuma ejected himself from the room.  
Shun slammed his fist against the wall, “Fuck! He _knows_ he didn’t give us enough time. He’s marching us to our deaths.”

Mitsuo pat my shoulder, “You okay?”

“Do I look okay?” I asked, exasperated.

His eyes widened, looking a little more shocked, “I’m sorry.”

“No, no,” I asked, “I’m sorry. I’m just… I’m terrified.”

“Sen, things are going to come to light when it’s pushed out of us. You can do this, and with the help of your friends… It’s gonna be no problem.” he looked me dead in the eye. I blinked away tears. We all walked to the chapel, meeting the others outside it. Inside, Monokuma gestured the fifteen of us to enter confession, one by one.

As I passed the door, I found myself in an elevator with the rest of the students.

Cho stood at one side of me. I saw her fingers already interlaced with Ami’s. A moment later, I felt her other hand lace with mine.

Mitsuo entered the elevator, looking at me with dejected eyes.

 _I can do this,_ I thought, _And with the help of my friends… I will bring justice to Joben Suzuki._

Monokuma’s voice rang from a speaker at the top of the elevator, “Someone press the button labeled Trial Floor please.”

I watched as Mitsuo raised a shaky finger to the button, and pushed it.

And then we began our descent.

The elevator doors opened to a red velvet walled room, with a black and white checkered floor and sixteen podiums all facing one another in a circle.

Monokuma sat pretty on a tall, golden throne, with Gurekuma in a bathtub beside it.

“Thank goodness you all made it,” Monokuma wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, “I was scared we lost another one on the way! Now, make your way to your podium, and we can begin the class trial!”

I stood at my podium. Joben’s was next to mine, with a bright pink, bloody looking X crossed over a picture of his face.

I swallowed looking at it.

We all faced one another: inhaling another chance at life, and exhaling who was to be sent to death.

It was the time for a deadly class trial.

  
  
**Students Remaining: 15**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops rip  
> theres gonna be a ton of art in the next couple chapters yeyeyeye B)


	8. Chapter One: One Time... At Despair Camp (CLASS TRIAL)

“I’m just going to give you a quick rundown, okay kids?” Monokuma spoke to us, “Majority vote determines the result. If the majority can figure out ‘whodunnit’, then they will receive their due punishment. But if you can’t, then I’ll punish everyone _besides_ the blackened, and they can walk free. Sound good?”

“It sounds horrible!” Gurekuma said.

“Good!” Monokuma laughed a horrendous laugh.

“I have a question, M-Mr. Monokuma,” Haruka said.

“What is it?” Monokuma tilted his head.

“Is the murderer just one person? With the motive and all…” she shrugged, “Couldn’t two people work together?”

“Well…” Monokuma shrugged, “the murderer can only be one person. It’s whoever has done the murder. If they’re in kahoots, or have an accomplice, well... “ he put his paw to his chin, “I’ll clear the air right now: It would’ve been smart for you kids to pair up but, nobody did! I’ve been watching the murderer with my own two lenses, and they did it all by themselves! I’m so proud! Anyways, no more questions! Get to crackin’ this case!”

“Where do we start?” Noboru said.

“I said no questions!” Monokuma roared.

“I think we should start with the basics,” Oda said.

“Alright,” Ami said, “so the victim was Joben Suzuki, in his own bedroom.”

“Right,” Gon agreed, “With the kitchen knife puncturing his lung. He died at 10:20 at night.”

“Meaning the killer stabbed him in the lung, watched him suffer, then left.”

“But!” Hibiki pointed out, “The door was locked from the inside! Maybe the killer left and he locked it so-” Hibiki interrupted his own thought with a gasp, “Guys! What if it was a suicide?”

“No,” I said, “That’s wrong.” I remembered **how the doors locked.**

“What?” Hibiki looked at me, “Why?”

“Because the doors can be locked while they’re still opened. It’s not a bolt-lock function. Oda taught me that.” I smiled at Oda. She rolled her eyes at me.

“But why would the killer lock the door?”

“To make it seem like Joben was sleeping,” Oda said, “If his door was left unlocked and open, we would find out he was murdered in an instant. They wanted to cover their tracks and buy themselves some time.”

“We can’t rule out it being a suicide though,” Takumi said.

“Yes, yes we can,” Gon said.

“And why’s that?” Takumi put his hands on his hips.

Why _was_ that? I remembered back to what Gon said after we were give the Monokuma file, “Because his sternum was broken.”

“Precisely,” Gon said, “to have to break your own sternum… That would call for an insane amount of pressure.”

“Quite literally,” Narumi said, pushing up her glasses, “He would have to be insane to show that kind of ill will toward himself without stopping. And Joben, though mean, was not insane.”

“I don’t even know why we would suggest a suicide. Can we move on?” Oda said coldly.

“Uh, jeez, sorry,” Hibiki rubbed the back of his neck.

“But what about the knife?” Ami said.

“What about the knife?” Ginko asked.

“I dunno, shouldn’t it be a subject of interest?”

“Right!” Zuzu agreed, “Was it a switchblade, or a bowie knife?”

“Neither, it-”

“Where did the killer even get it? Maybe it has somethin’ to do with their talent?” Zuzu nodded at his own brilliance.

“No,” I said, “the knife belonged to a **knife set from the kitchen**. Just like the knife in Joben’s chest, that knife had a light brown handle. It had been taken directly from the mess hall.”

“Oh,” Zuzu frowned, “my b.”

“That’s why you don’t leave the investigation. You’re just slowing us down,” Oda said.

“Okay,” Afu cracked the knuckles of her little hands, “This is getting stupid. It was Sen!”

“What?” I gasped.

“Sen did it!” she shrugged, “He had placed a book that was checked out by her directly underneath him.”

“But why would he lay on it if he wanted it to be evidence?” Mitsuo asked.

“Because!” she crossed her arms, “If she sat and watched him suffer, he’d want to hide the fact that he was giving away the killer by landing on the book!”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” I argued.

“She also gave that information up freely,” Ginko pointed out, “If she was really the murderer, don’t you think she’d hide what she saw, Puffball?”

“Puffball?” Cho asked.

“That’s what I call Afu!” Ginko said proudly, “She’s got a head of cotton!”

“It’s _more_ suspicious that she pointed it out!” Afu said, “By pointing it out, it makes you go ‘Oh, there’s no way she did it’ when actually, yes way, she did! So she’s suspicious by doing reverse-reverse psychology!” She pointed directly at me, angry.

I didn’t really know how to counter it. I just had to think.

And then it hit me.

“Wait, Afu,” I said, “maybe this will help you believe me. Hey, do you think  you can recall your **account, Takumi**?”

Takumi looked at me with wide eyes, confused.

“About the books on the floor.”

“Oh! Yeah!” he said, “I was telling Sen, the books all over the floor weren’t in any pattern. And almost everyone had at least once book to their name. Even Zuzu!”

“Even me?” Zuzu asked, “What did I have checked out?”

“Some light novel about superheroes,” Takumi said.

“ _Tig_ _ht!_ ”

“Wait,” Afu frowned, “Nuh uh!”

“Remember when I picked up a random one of the **books on the floor** , and it was a fisherman romance that apparently Oda had read?”

“I didn’t read it,” Oda argued.

“Yeah, well I didn’t read _The Rising Sun_ ,” I argued, “My name, in Joben’s hand, is still on the book, and was since we got here.”

“That’s not the important thing anyways!” Haruka raised her voice, “The important thing is that Sen didn’t do it. Where ever he landed wasn’t a clue to the murderer.”

“Maybe he was organizing a secret santa!” Ginko said.

 _It’s not much of a secret santa if only one person is giving the gifts_ , I thought.

“I think we should just take it from the top,” Narumi instructed.

“What do you mean?” Noboru asked.

“Let’s hypothesize what Joben did from before the attack, to his death.”

“Oh, okay,” Ami agreed, “So Joben was in his room when he was killed, but how did the killer get in?”

“The lock was picked!” Afu yelled, slamming her hand on the table.

“I doubt any of us could pick a lock,” Cho rolled her eyes.

“Maybe the killer stalked him as he walked into his cabin,” Shun said.

“No,” I argued, remembering that **Joben was in his pajamas** , “Joben was getting ready for bed.”

“What?” Shun raised an eyebrow at me, “Just because it was 10 doesn’t mean he was asleep. Not everyone’s as lame as you.”

“No, I just mean don’t you think Joben would only leave his cabin if he were fully dressed. The guy was real stuffy, meaning, he probably even if he was going to just check the mailbox right outside his house, he’d get fully dressed; shoes, socks, and all.”

“Was he not?”

“He was in his jammies,” Mitsuo said.

“Ah, shit,” Shun swore, “maybe he was as lame as you Sen.”

I rolled my eyes.

“That doesn’t get us anywhere though,” Oda said, “Why would he have answered the door so late if he were already all dressed down?”

“I’m not sure,” I placed my finger to my lips.

“I wanna go back to the knife really quick,” Mitsuo interrupted, “Something’s bothering me. We need to pinpoint when exactly the knife went missing.”

“It was there when I was in the dining hall yesterday morning,” Cho said.

“Yeah, I was with her. I remember a complete set, because I was cutting scallions,” Ami recalled.

“Did anybody go in there at lunch?” Mitsuo asked.

“I did!” Afu said, “I remember thinking this camp was super bunk to be missing a knife! I just thought Monokuma didn’t want to pay for a full set!”

“Hey!” Monokuma’s brow furrowed, “I will always pay for what my kiddies deserve!”

“But you think we deserve death!” Shun yelled.

“And I’m paying in my _time_ watching you guys chase your tails!” Monokuma laughed at his own joke.

“None of them have tails!” Gurekuma backsassed him, “I would know! It’s a medical anomaly!”

“So the knife went missing sometime between breakfast with Cho and Ami, at like- 6, and lunch with Afu at..?”

“I always have lunch at 12:30 on the dot! Routine is important!” Afu nodded to herself, her cotton candy hair bouncing with each nod.

“So in that six hour window,” Mitsuo reiterated, “the knife went missing.”

I didn’t remember a full set or not. I only remembered the handle color. It made me feel useless.

I did, however, remember, Hibiki being in the kitchen, begging me to create a distraction.

“Hibiki,” I began. He looked at me with pleading eyes, “you were in the dining room sometime around 8 AM, correct?”

“I- I- I… Uh,” he tugged at the collar of his shirt, “I, uh, yeah. I was. Why?”

“Did you see if the full set was there?” I asked, with a raised brow.

“Yeah, the uh- The set? The set!” he swallowed, “I don’t remember.”

“Wait!” Cho said, “This buttmonkey doesn’t have an alibi either! Did you kill Joben?”

“No!” Hibiki said, “I really didn’t! I- I just didn’t want you, well, please don’t hate me, but I didn’t want you to know I was in the kitchen!”

“Why would I care?”

“Because Ami was crying…”

“Wait,” Cho paused, “You were in the kitchen the _whole time_?”

Hibiki nodded, “I’m sorry! It really was an accident!”

“That’s embarrassing,” Ami said, “it’s fine. Don’t worry about it Hibiki.”

“No! That’s not cool! You were crying, and he was spying? That’s really messed up!”

“That is really messed up,” Ginko frowned.

“That’s not important,” Noboru said, “What is important is if you remember if the knives were there or not.”

“They… They were! I remember now! Because I was counting everything. I counted twenty ceiling tiles, and eight lights, and fifteen knives, plus one scissors,” he sung what he said, as if him waiting to pee made him sing.

“But why would we believe him?” Ginko scowled, “First he’s a creep, next he’s a murderer! Not too far apart.”

“We wouldn’t do it cause he’s Hibiki! The little dude’s a good little dude!” Zuzu argued.

“Insightful,” Oda said.

“What he’s trying to say is,” Hibiki explained, “I have no reason to kill him! I don’t have anyone to take with me in the motive, and I don’t have the guts to end someone’s life! I can’t even step on spiders!”

“Oh, you’ve got nobody you wanna take with you?” Ginko looked at Hibiki, then at Shun, who snickered, “Not even a guy who _goes hard_?”

“Shut up!”

“No offense, little buddy, but you’re also not sneaky enough,” Zuzu said, “Joben was definitely snuck up on.”

“What makes you say that?” Narumi asked.

“Wasn’t there, like, blood spatter?” Zuzu asked.

“Oh yeah!” Shun said, “Maybe he was hit in the head real hard, spit some blood, and that’s when he turned around and was stabbed.”

I thought about the **Monokuma file** ** _._** “No, there weren’t any signs of other injuries. In fact… I don’t think he was snuck up on at all,” I said, “The spatter was placed by him. Notice that blood was only on three books?”

“Only three?” Ami gasped.

“Yeah,” I remembered, “And none of them had anything to do with one another on any of the time cards or anything.”

“There wasn’t a repeat name or anything?” Oda asked.

I shook my head.

“Shit,” Oda swore under her breath, “Okay, so far we’ve collected that the knife went missing in a six hour window, and Joben wasn’t snuck up on. We need something more substantial than that people!”

“Wait,” Gon said, “Just because Joben was in his pajamas doesn’t mean he wasn’t expecting someone.”

“What?” Ginko asked, “I thought that’s exactly the conclusion we came to.”

“No,” he said, “I borrowed a book from Joben on our second night here. I asked him about it at lunch, and came at about ten at night. He was in his pajamas.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Oda asked.

“I didn’t think we were ruling out that he had company,” Gon said, “Apologies.”

“No, no, you opened my eyes to something else,” Oda said, “What book did you rent?”

“W-What?” Gon immediately flushed.

“You need to tell me what book you rented,” Oda said, reaching into her pocket.

“Why does it matter?” I asked.

“Because,” Oda said, “it will confirm whether or not Joben had company.”

“I just- I don’t think it’s important.”

“It _is_ important,” she furrowed her brow.

“Can’t you just tell me what’s on the note?”

“And give the killer time to explain themselves?” Oda said, “Just tell us the God damned book!”

“It’s was _The Trace of Your Fingerprints_ , okay?” Gon said, looking a little frustrated.

“Isn’t that a chick book?” Shun laughed.

“That’s… That’s my favorite book,” Haruka said, “I told you that!”

“I wanted… I wanted to read it, because you liked it so much,” Gon swallowed, “And Joben had it, so…”

“Okay, very touching I know, but that confirms that someone else borrowed a book from Joben,” Oda said, holding up the note and reading it aloud, “‘She wanted a book recommended to her. Give her the only one she previously checked out: _The Fingermancer_.’”

“How did you do that?” Mitsuo asked, amazed by the deciphered note.

“I just sketched over the imprint left in Joben’s notepad,” Oda said, “I saw it once in a detective show, and it proved helpful.”

“Deja vu!” Monokuma exclaimed.

“That solves the mystery of the **wadded note** ,” Noboru said.

“So,” I swallowed, “The ‘she’ addressed in the note is most likely the killer.”

“I feel like it’s too soon to tell that kinda thing,” Hibiki said.

“But it’s more than likely a yes!” Afu argued, her brows knitting together.

“Okay, then we just need to investigate the two girls that don’t have alibis… Who were they again?” Haruka placed her finger on her lower lip.

“Ami,” Mitsuo pointed, “and Oda.”

“I think Ami did it,” Ginko accused, “Look at her! That piece of shit librarian treated her like garbage ever since they met! If I were her, I woulda stabbed the shit outta him too!”

“What?” Ami gasped, growing pale.

“Wasn’t me though! I’ve got an alibi!” Ginko cleared her name.

“Oda’s been leading this investigation though,” Noboru said, “Which could mean she’s been leading us the wrong way.”

“No Oda-” Shun began.

“It’s true I don’t have an alibi,” Oda explained, “but I also don’t have a motive. I don’t like any of you. Meanwhile, Ami’s been really chummy with Cho, perhaps she wishes to take her out of this hell hole.”

“No!” Ami argued, “I wouldn’t do that to any of you! You’ve got to believe me.”

“No,” I said, “there’s another reason why I think Ami is in the clear.”

“What?” Cho said.

“What?” Oda said.

“Please tell them!” Ami exclaimed.

“Haruka, please tell me what you saw the night of the murder?” Haruka had to recall **her account.**

Haruka, unnerved by the sudden attention on her said, “I didn’t want to pick on anyone!”

“You’re not!” I reassured, “You’re actually helping quite a bit.”

“Uh,” she pressed her fingertips together, “so, when Gon and I were walking the dock, I saw Ami running at a really high speed back to the cabins. She had a blanket on her shoulders that flowed behind her like a cape.”

“What time was this at?” Mitsuo asked.

“It was before the nighttime announcement,” Haruka recalled.

“That’s weird,” I said, “Was there even a nighttime announcement last night?”

I looked around. Everyone was nodding.

“Oh,” I said, “Sorry, carry on.”

“So that means I’m in the clear?” Ami celebrated.

“Hold on,” Noboru said, “not quite. Why were you running so fast? And why a cape?”

“I was running from the dining hall to grab some chips!” Ami explained, “I was running so fast because the ground was freezing, and I had no shoes on. I tied the blanket around my shoulders because it kept falling off while I carried the chips and stuff.”

“And stuff?” Hibiki asked, “What else did you get?”

“I got an orange soda and some candy too,” Ami nervously shared, “I eat when I’m sad.”

“But what if she was running to get the knife!” Takumi said.

“No, that’s impossible,” I said, “We already established that the knife went missing before lunch.”

“What about to return the knife?” Afu asked.

“Puffball, the knife was stickin’ outta the guys chest.”

“Oh.”

“Okay, so that leads us to you, Oda,” Noboru said, “You have no alibi, and have been so eager to lead the investigation. Why is that?”

“Because I want to live,” Oda said, “and I don’t trust any of you to do it.”

“You want to live, hm? Outside this camp, maybe?”

“As much as anyone else does,” she said, “but I wouldn’t kill over it. Especially not with such a dumb motive.”

“You still don’t have an alibi,” Cho leaned forward.

“I don’t,” Oda swallowed, looking around, “but I didn’t do it.”

“Come on Oda,” Afu said, “Just give it up.”

“I didn’t do it!” Oda barked.

“No,” Ginko said, “The other thing.”

“I- I don’t see how that’s important,” her cheeks puffed slightly.

“Oda hung out with Ginko, Afu, and me,” Shun said, “We painted her toenails.”

“So Oda has an alibi?” Zuzu held his head.

“That’s suspicious,” Cho argued, “How do we know they’re not covering for you?”

“Because I would only be able to take one of them with me, dumbshit,” Oda said, crossing her arms, “but if you care so much, yeah, they gave me a pedicure.” She pried off one of her shoes, nearly toppling over. There, at her podium, she peeled off her socks and set her foot down. Noboru, who was next to her shook his head, “Damn, they’re pink.”

There was a collective sigh.

“I’m glad you guys want to incriminate me so bad,” she narrowed her eyes, “but no. I didn’t have a motive to hurt Joben.”

“Then the killer could be someone with an alibi,” Mitsuo looked around, “And Monokuma, you said there was no accomplices?”

“No!” Monokuma giggled, “Just good ol’ fashioned foul play.”

“Which is why,” Oda said, “I think we need to suspect people _with_ an alibi.”

“With an alibi?” Ginko gasped, “That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I was thinking the same thing, Oda. We need to visit the clue Joben left for us,” Mitsuo said. He looked like he knew the answer just at that moment.

“The **bloody books**!” I remembered.

“Right,” he said, “They may have had nothing in common, but… Sen, I need to ask you something.”

“Uh,” I looked around, “Right now?”

“How hard of a sleeper are you?” he proceeded.

“Not incredibly,” I shrugged, “I’m not a light sleeper either though.”

“Do you think the nighttime announcement would wake you up if you were in a deep slumber?”

“It depends on how deep,” I said.

His face tinted pink as he forwardly said, “Deep enough to answer the door without pants on?”

“Wh- Why are you bringing this up?”

“Because, last night, when I… uh… stopped by, you had told me it was 11:45. Forty-five minutes after dark. I guessed it was possible, considering I left my pad at home, but it still felt fishy. When I got to my cabin, the nighttime announcement played while I was in the shower.”

“That’s… That’s impossible,”  I said.

“Why were you at her house at night anyways?” Ginko asked, “I thought Sen was a bonafide lesbian!”

“I- What?” I exclaimed, “He was over to return my sweater. It was drying on the clothesline.”

“I didn’t put your sweater on the clothesline!” Cho said, “I was folding my blanket, and when I turned around, it was gone. This creep stole it!”

“I did not!” Mitsuo said, his face turning a deeper pink.

“And why were you creeping on Sen in her panties?”

“I wasn’t!”

“That was my fault,” I said, “I fell asleep in my clothes. I must’ve kicked off my pants in my sleep, but I was so tired when I answered the door that I didn’t even notice.”

“What color undies does she have Mits?” Shun asked.

“None of your fucking business!” Mitsuo yelled.

“Don’t get so defensive,” Cho barked, “It makes you seem more creepy.”

“I’m going to change with my blinds closed now,” Afu said.

“Shut up, everyone!” I yelled. As silence fell, I turned to Mitsuo and said, “So what are you trying to say?”

“I think your analog clock was an hour slow. When I stopped by at 11:45, it was actually 10:45.”

“So that means-” I began.

“Cho doesn’t have an alibi,” Oda said.

All heads were turned toward Cho.

Cho grimaced and said, “What? Just cause you got a faulty Monopad doesn’t mean I _murdered_ someone. How the hell would I even get into Cho’s room? She always carries her key on her.”

“Except when she hands them off to a friend,” Mitsuo said, “You let her into your room to fetch you a new cardigan. Isn’t that right, Sen?”

I didn’t want to believe it.

But it was true.

“I- I did,” I said, “but she wasn't gone for any longer than a minute!”

“If she ran from when she was out of sight,” Oda said, “And already had the plan straight in her head, then it could be possible.”

Cho’s grimace stayed painted on her face, “But I wouldn’t kill Joben!”

“Also, if you went back home to shower,” Mitsuo explained to me, “Cho would be left to clean up the mess of the picnic.”

“Giving her time to grab the knife,” Noboru agreed.

“But- But- I went straight home and went to bed that night!”

Mitsuo cleared his throat, “I have one more more piece of evidence that points to Cho as Joben’s killer.”

“I didn’t do it!” Cho shouted.

“We kept saying the books had nothing in common. They didn’t relate to us,” Mitsuo explained, “And I suppose they don’t. The names in the front cards have nothing to do with each other. But that’s not what was highlighted in Joben’s blood.”

“Was something highlighted?” Oda asked, “How could I have overlooked it?”

“I did too,” Mitsuo sighed.

It hit me. There were dots on two of the books, and a highlighted word on the third.

“I didn’t! I didn’t! I didn’t! I didn’t! I didn’t! I didn’t! I didn’t!” Cho shouted loud, repeating herself over and over.

“Sen,” Mitsuo looked at me, “Do you know what I’m talking about?”

“The word highlighted was the word _See._ The first letters of the titles of the other books were highlighted as well. They were titled _House of Vagrants_ and _On and In Love._ ”

“Sen, you have to believe me! I didn’t do it!” her eyes were desperate and pleading.

“Phonetically, the word _See_ is C. _House of Vagrants_ starts with H. And _On and In Love_ starts with O,” I swallowed back tears, but they still fell from my eyes.

“And what does that spell?” Ginko crossed her arms.

“Cho,” I choked.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Zuzu held up his hands, “What? Start from the top; I’m a little lost here baby.”

“Let me break it down for you-” Oda began, but I interrupted her.

“I… I need to make sense of this aloud,” I said.

If anyone was going to explain it, it was me.

“When I woke up that morning, I headed to the dining hall. There, I walked in on Ami crying, and the killer comforting her. Ami tried to serve me breakfast, but I went in the back myself to get my food. There, I saw Hibiki, who needed me to create a distraction so he could leave, so that nobody would think he was a peeping Tom. So I suggested that the girls and I have a picnic. After Ami and the killer left the room, I assembled a picnic for us, in which I included canned coffee and no napkins,” the tears fell out of my eyes rather pathetically. I couldn’t look Cho in the eye. I continued, “The killer was the only one who joined me. We sat and had a nice time, but it was abruptly interrupted when she accidenta- er, when she spilled her milk coffee on me. She was eager to offer to get me a new sweater, because she’s a kind friend. So I gave her my key to my cabin, and that’s when her plan had begun. In my room, she, of course, grabbed me an extra sweater, but she also moved my clock forward an hour. When she came back with my new sweater, she just suggested I shower, so she could clean up and do laundry. Upon taking the items back to the kitchen, she was able to easily grab the knife and take it back to her room.  That night, she came back to my room at about 8:30, with me under the impression that it was 9:30… She stayed until my 10:30, which was actually 9:30, giving her less than an hour to commit the crime. I watched her turn off the lights, which made me go to sleep. But really, she lay in her bed, thinking , I assume, about whether or not she should go through with it. And… consequently, she did. Joben was expecting her that night to come over and borrow a book, but when the killer came, she quickly lunged the knife into Joben’s chest and left without watching him suffer, locked and closed the door behind her, and left. But what she didn’t know was despite Joben making no screaming due to the condition of his lung, he still had moments left, precious moments. That’s when he went in search for books that could highlight who’d done it, without it being erasibly obvious. He dipped into his chest blood to highlight select books, wiping it off on the piece of paper he tore out to shuffle through others. He died from his stab wound, either from the lung being punctured, or bleeding out… But the killer just snuck back to her room under the guise of borrowing a book, and went to sleep… How’d I do, Cho?”

Cho looked at me with tears in her eyes.

Ami looked back and forth between us and said, “Cho, no, tell her that’s not true!”

Cho looked at her with a melancholic smile and said, “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“No!” Ami shouted, clutching her space on the podium, “No! No! Absolutely not!”

“Ami…” Cho said.

“Tell them you didn’t do it!”

“Sen even-” Mitsuo began

“No,” Ami pointed at me, “You’re her _friend_. You’re not supposed to convict her. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“ _Ami_ ,” Cho said sternly, “Don’t. Sen was just saving everyone else.”

“B-But,” Ami said, “She… She didn’t-”

“Sen did a wonderful job,” she looked at me with a smile.

I didn’t want to cry. I couldn’t cry. I burst into tears.

“So that’s it?” Oda asked, “You killed him?”

“Hey! Wait!” Monokuma roared, “No confessions! I wanna see your verdict! So is it voting time?”

“I think so, Monokuma,” Mitsuo said.

“Then everyone select the guilty party on the screen on your podium, and we’ll see if you were right!” Monokuma lounged in his chair, “And just so you all know… You have to vote. Abstaining from voting means you are refusing to do classwork, and that’s a big no-no! That’ll lead to much more than a smacked bottom!”

“We’ll get killed if we don’t vote?” Shun asked.

Monokuma just laughed in response.

My finger hovered above Cho’s Hope’s Peak Academy school picture. She was smiling bright, so excited for her future. I closed my eyes, and tapped her face.  


A few seconds later, Monokuma pushed the button in front of him, which broadcasted the votes; fifteen votes for Cho Kakawa.

A loading wheel spun on the screen, and then stopped to show Cho’s school picture to everyone, with the glittery words _GUILTY_ over her eyes.

“Oh man, good job everyone!” Monokuma rejoiced.

“But- But- But! That means a punishment!” Gurekuma cried.

“That’s why I’m saying good job! I love a good ol’ broadcasted punishment!” Monokuma laughed loudly.

“Hey! Shut up!” I yelled, “Just shut up! Cho- Cho is my friend! You can’t just kill her!”

“Ah,” Monokuma rubbed his chin, “but she can just kill Joben? That’s okay? Just because the guy was mean… Or rather, mean to Ami.”

“I-Is that why you killed him?” Ami asked.

Cho cracked a smile, “No… Well, it made it easier for me to justify it in my head, but… I killed him because I knew he was accessible… And I didn’t think he made any friends. And… Well, the motive.”

“The motive?” Haruka gasped.

“I got to take someone with me to safety, didn’t I?” she smiled. She didn’t look happy. She looked as if she were justifying her pain.

“You- You were going to use it?” Shun asked.

“Of course,” she laughed, “I had to take what I could get… I needed some semblance of hope.”

“Who were you-” I began, but Monokuma interrupted with a kackle.

“Alright! That’s enough of that!” His maw opened wide.

Cho ran into my arms, colliding with me, giving me an ironclad hug. Her head buried into the crook of my neck and she whispered, “It was you, Sen. Of course, I would’ve taken you over the world.”

I flushed.

She broke the hug and walked next to Monokuma’s golden throne. Monokuma looked at her menacingly, “Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for our Super High School Level Stewardess!”

“Cho! Please,” Ami was bawling. I wasn’t doing too much better. Cho’s words lingered in my ear. She looked at me with misty eyes and asked, “Did she tell you who she was going to take?”

I couldn’t bear to tell her the truth. She and Cho spend so much time together. Cho was her world. I had to lie. I whispered, “She was going to take you, Ami.”

Ami’s face lit up.

“Goodbye everyone,” Cho waved, “You truly were great friends.”

“Let’s get it everything we got!” Monokuma loomed over Cho.

Ami ran up to Cho and pressed both of her hands to Cho’s cheeks, bringing her in close and kissing her. Cho looked at her with starry, teary eyes.

“ _It's_ _punishment time!”_ Monokuma laughed, slamming his paw on a button that rose from his chair.

The screen with Cho’s picture on it flashed the word _GUILTY_ over and over. Ami let go of Cho, collapsing to her knees.

Cho gave a triumphant wave as she looked at me dead in the eye and said one thing, “Everyone, survive.”As the final word came out of her mouth, a large claw erupted from the roof, and dragged Cho up by the neck.

A light that I hadn’t noticed lit up above Monokuma’s throne that said: _ON AIR._

The screen went to static, then displayed a message: _Pressurized Cabin Fever!_

Cho was loaded into a plane. Monokuma, dressed as a sexy stewardess with fluffy blonde hair, instructed her to sit.

She sat, and the Monokuma helped her buckle up. After that, she slammed the door shut.

The bottom of the plane filled with a small layer of water. Cho picked up her feet. Then came the heat. The water slowly turned to steam, then faster and faster. Cho’s skin started to boil. She walked through the boiling water and pried at the door.

It wouldn’t budge.

She trudged through the steam into the captain’s den. She placed her hand on the door, pulling it back because the metal burned her skin. She bit her lip and forced herself to open it.Thick, hot steam exploded from the room, obstructing our view, and when the camera cleared, she was on the ground, in millimeters of water that was boiling away, dead.  
  
The TV turned off.

I collapsed to the floor, covering my eyes. I don’t know why I watched. The image of Cho boiling alive wouldn’t leave my mind. I was holding my head, when I felt Mitsuo’s hand pet my back.

He was squatting on the floor beside me.

Ami was in pieces.

“Hey,” Gon was staring up at the screen, “Uh, guys.”

I looked up at the screen. It was the same photo of Sen, but with a big blood-colored X over her face.  
  
“She’s dead, asshole,” Noboru said.

“No,” Gon shook his head, “That’s not what I was talking about…”

“What is it?” Haruka asked.

“Cho is… She’s wearing a Hope’s Peak Academy Uniform… Her hair is a little longer too, like this picture is from the future or something,” he said.

“Or the past,” Mitsuo said, “Didn’t Sen say Joben said something about us checking out books? From before he even met us?”

“Yeah,” Takumi said, “so this… Might be from the past.”

My eyes looked up at her portrait. She was smiling, happy, with her fluffy orange hair grown down to her chin. She was in the signature brown blazer of the school, with a bright blue bow.

All I could hear was her voice: “It was you, Sen.”

I don’t even remember the rest of the night. It blurred together as my head hit my pillow.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma kneels by the fire, vomiting the concoction that he just created. Between vomits, he speaks.

“I feel like -BLEH- the nerds always die -BLEH- first. And I don’t just mean book nerd. -BLEH- Nerd can mean any kind of -BLEH- person. Sometimes, nerds are baseball nerds -BLEH- or food nerds -BLEH- or piano nerds, or in this case, airplane nerds. -BLEH BLEH BLEH-”

**Students Remaining: 14**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY  
> SORRY  
> I KNOW SHE WAS CUTE I THOUGHT SO TOO


	9. Chapter Two: In Every Box, There is Despair (PART I)

I was awake before the morning announcement played: “Goooood morning happy campers! It is now 8AM and nighttime is officially over! All rooms are now accessible. Have a wonderful day!”  
The repeated words felt stale in the back of my head. Wonderful day? How could it be a wonderful day? We lost two friends in one day.

I could still hear her voice, “It was you, Sen.”

It was ridiculous of her to want to take me. Why me? Why not Ami, who she so obviously liked? Why me, who pretty much ensured her death? Why me, who watched as she boiled alive in that pressure cooker? Why me.

I wasn't hungry. I laid, staring at the ceiling for hours. It wasn’t until 11 that I heard a knock.

“Hey, honey,” it was Ami, “you haven’t eaten… So I just brought you some food. Are you okay in there?”

I rolled out of bed and answered the door. Ami was standing there holding a tray fit for a king. A hearty American breakfast of eggs, bacon, buttered toast, and orange juice was supported by her strong arms.

“I know eating doesn’t feel good when you feel-”

“How are you okay?”

She laughed, “I’m not! Cho was- She was amazing. I still can’t really connect it in my head that she _killed_ , but… She did. But do you know what else she did? She told us to _survive_ , and that means keep on keepin’ on. So I’m going to live, and thrive, and survive, if it means Cho’s smiling down at me.”

I took the tray from her, “This looks great… Thank you.”

“I didn’t make it. I’m just the waitress,” she smiled a big smile.

“Oh,” I readjusted the weight of the tray in my arms, “Still. Thank you.”

She pinched my cheek and said, “Just remember… Survive.” She turned around and walked away, looking self-contented.

I ate alone in my bed. The food was delicious, and the reminder made a different set of Cho’s words play in my head: _Everyone, survive._

My teeth tugged on my lower lip. It was true, what Ami said. I had to live, just to honor Cho… but it was so hard. I stood to change into clean clothes and put away my tray with my tablet beeped, and a message from Mr. Monokuma himself autoplayed:

“Attention campers! Please make your way to the main stage. I have a surprise for you all. This is a mandatory meeting! Thank you!”

I cursed his name… but of course, after putting my dishes away, attended.

As I walked from the mess hall, Narumi’s voice alarmed me, “Sen… How are you feeling?”

I looked at her. Her eyes were empathetic. I told her how I was: “I’m feeling… not great, but also… motivated.”

She lit up in horror slightly, “Motivated?”

“Motivated to stop this stupid game,” I looked her dead in the eye, “and get everyone out alive. It’s what Cho wanted.”

She smiled, “That’s good to hear. What’s your plan?”

Embarrassed, I admitted, “I don’t have one.”

“That’s okay,” she put her hand on my shoulder, “don’t let that fire of motivation and hope burn out. I like a happy Sen… It’s almost like it makes, well, all of us happy.”

I looked at her with confusion on my face. She just smiled tamely back at me.

When we arrived, standing before the stage, I felt suddenly transported back in time, only a few days prior, to when Monokuma explained the killing game. Now that it had been executed, and we were all pawns in play, fear bubbled inside of me.

Instead, Gurekuma stood on stage in her uncomfortable-looking nurse outfit. She tugged at the hem of her dress, attempting to pull it over her belly, but to no success. She noticed, when Narumi and I arrived, that everyone was in attendance.

She scanned the audience and spoke in a hushed tone, “Okay… So… Monokuma is going to reward you for… Living. And then he’s going to present another motive. And, I know we haven’t been together long, but you kids mean a lot to Camp Leader Gurekuma, so please… take no interest. Even if it means you have to plug your ears and close your eyes and hold your breath! I can’t stand to lose more of you!” Theatrically, she began to cry.

“How… does that even work?” Ginko asked. She looked around for someone to answer her question, but she just got shrugs in response.

Monokuma appeared beside Gurekuma, standing over her. He shouted, “Who made my baby sister cry? Who was it, huh? Was it _you?_ ” He pointed a clawed paw at Shun. “Or you?” The paw turned to Ginko. Finally the paw landed on me, “It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Me?”

“Eh, I stopped caring,” Monokuma shoved Gurekuma on her side as she continued to sob, “Anywho, you guys did it! You investigated a crime scene, and solved a murder! How do you feel?”

We were silent.

“Great! Are you ready for your prize?” Monokuma laughed as he put on a safari hat, “Then follow me!”

He ended up walking us to the mouth of the trail where we tried to escape into the woods on our first night. There, he stood on a toppled tree and said, “Ta-da!”

“Ta-da what?” Shun’s eyebrows knit together.

“Wh-Wha?” Monokuma looked behind him. The trail was still a disaster, “Dammit… What good are the beast and junk models if they can’t clear a path?” He whistled loudly, and the path was almost instantly cleared away by the giant, deadly monokumas. Monokuma turned around, self-satisfied, and said, “Ta-da!”

“What does this mean?” Narumi asked.

“Wanna go on a hike?”

“Not really,” Afu huffed.

“Too bad!” Monokuma hopped over the ledge and led the way. Reluctantly, we followed. At the end of the twenty minute walk we arrived at a new campsite.

“Wait,” Takumi asked, “Is this a new campsite?”

“You betcha!” Monokuma smiled. He pointed at buildings, “There’s the library, there’s the spa house, and that fenced in area is the archery range.”

“Spa house?” Ginko stretched, “Ooh, you know I’m gonna get my soak on!”

“Nuh-uh! Not so fast,” Monokuma stood beside Ginko, “First, I’ve got something else for you!”

“We don’t care,” Oda said, picking at her nails.

“What did you say?” Monokuma asked, “Sorry, you’re just so insignificant, I can’t bring myself to listen to you… What was I saying?”

Oda looked hurt.

“Oh, right! I got you all something!” Monokuma did a little excited dance, “It’s another motive!”

“M-Motive,” I whispered, “Another one?”

“Haven’t we suffered enough?” Gon asked.

“Nobody’s gonna kill anymore,” Ami seemed self-assured, “no matter what happens. No motive is gonna make us break our promises to Cho, right?”

“We don’t know what the motive is yet,” said Noboru, “Who knows what any of us are capable of.”

“Why would you even say that?” Ami gasped.

“If anything, Cho killing Joben proves that,” he crossed his arms, “Cho seemed to be a sweet girl. Joben seemed to be capable of defending himself. Those assumptions were wrong.”

“Cho was still a sweet girl!” Ami argued, “She just-”

“Murdered someone!” Takumi exclaimed, “And was going to use the death to kill the rest of us!”

“She was wrong! I never said she was right, but-”

“Shut up! Oh my God, I don’t care! Cho killed a guy, and now she’s dead!” Monokuma rolled his neck in a circle and walked toward a picnic table with a black and white wrapped present on it. It had a red bow. “Always, this is your mo-”

“What if we just… Don’t?” Mitsuo asked everyone else, “He can’t kill us all.”

“You say that like you know,” Monokuma smiled, “This is your moti-”

“Why don’t we just turn around and go back to our original camp? Why do we need to see what it is? It’s just a reason for us to play his stupid little game! So let’s just go home. There’s no reason to be here!” Mitsuo’s voice raised as he became more and more passionate about his idea.

“Just let me finish!” Monokuma screamed, “ _This_ is your motive. This present! If one of you shitheads murder, we get to open the present together!” Monokuma sighed after his explanation, “God, I hate you kids.”

“That’s… That’s it?” Hibiki asked.

“You say that like you aren’t curious!” Monokuma shrugged, “Just no touching the present until a murder is committed!”

Zuzu burst into laughter. It was lighthearted as he wiped his eye and said, “Holy shit, that’s it? That’s wack as fuck, dude. Nobody here’s gonna kill over a shitty Christmas gift! You beat yourself at your own game. Weak, dude! I’ll be in my room if anyone wants me!”

Hibiki followed him, “Make sure to lock your door!”

And everyone dispersed. It was true: having an unopened present wasn’t really a motive, but I stood opposite the present and stared at it.

 _This is a game,_ was all I could think. _This is a game, and someone thinks this is hilarious._

Oda stood beside me and asked, “You don’t think it’s funny either, do you?”

“Wha- Oh,” I sighed, “Yeah, I just… I don’t get it.”

“I think it’s best not to play into their games,” she looked at me. Her eyes were still intense and piercing, which was scary, but I knew, from after the trial, that Oda was softer than we all thought.

I looked at her and asked, “Hey Oda… Do you want to hang out?”

“With you?” she looked at me, “No.”

“I know, I understand,” I said, “But if I were to follow you… where would you go?”

She bit her lower lip, trying not to smile, “I’m going to the archery range. I can’t control what you do.”

And she was right about that. I followed her.

Together, we inspected the archery range for dangerous items. The bows had to be strung themselves, and we sure didn’t know how to do that.

She held the wood bow in her hands and took a swing with them, she frowned and said, “These could still be deadly.”

“Yeah, well, at least nobody’s gonna buy into such a weird motive,” I poked the tip of the arrow. It was pointed, nice and sharp. I thought about how it could also be used as a weapon, but frowned at the idea.

“It’s still good to know that there are weapons,” she put the bow down, “if we have to conduct another investigation.”

I nodded. She smiled at me, and her eyes seemed less piercing. I said, “Hey, I’ve got something that I think you might like.”

“What’s that?” she asked, a little cautious.

I pulled the eyeshadow pallette out of my bag, and handed it to her. Her cheeks puffed and she said, “I don’t have anything for you.”

“I don’t expect you to,” I shrugged, “I just want you to have it.”

“Well… I’ll use it,” she put it in her bag, “to show my appreciation.”

I remembered how her eyes stared into my soul days before… How she seemed to hate me right off the bat. How she knew my name immediately. I had to ask.

“Uh, Oda, can I ask you something?”

“I don’t have to answer, but go for it.”

“The first day… You knew who I was. Why was that?”

Her arms crossed, and she reiterated, “I don’t have to answer.”

“Uh,” I changed the subject, “did I do something wrong?”

“I don’t have to answer that either.”

“Are you just going to be difficult?”

A smile crept upon her lips, “I don’t have to answer that.”

It made me laugh. She laughed slightly too, but then she said, “You married my mother to my step father. I wasn’t a fan of him… I know… I know it’s not your fault. I just wanted someone to blame.”

“Whoa, I’m sorry,” I frowned, “I had no idea.”

“Why would you?” she shrugged, “They were just people. My stepfather's a banker, and my mother was a saleswoman. They were nobodies.”

“They’re not nobodies! I just- I have so many clients. I’m sorry I didn’t recall.”

“I wouldn’t think you would,” she rubbed her arm, “I don’t know why I placed so much blame on you.”

Oda stood there, holding her arm. I know she came off as rude and harsh, but I could really tell that there was a reason behind it.

I put my hand on her shoulder, and she flinched slightly, “Hey, it’s okay, I think you’re a nice girl, Oda. I’m… I’m actually happy you even remembered me.”

“I… I have to go,” she took a deep breath, and walked past me. She stopped before she turned out of the firing range and said, “Hey Sen?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks,” was her final word, before she walked back to her room.

Oda’s voice was kinder. I hoped I could get to know her better through our time at camp. I took the twenty minute hike back to the first camp, and stopped outside the cabins. In the glass case outside, the map was updated, adding a ripped scrap of paper to make up for the gift of more explorable camp that Monokuma gave us. I thought about the library, a place that Joben would’ve loved, if he were to have survived.

I had to shake the thought from my head.

I ate lunch with Noboru, who didn’t say much to me, and walked to the equipment room just to play with the Monovendo machine.

I put a few coins in, ad out from the bottom came a shoebox sized box. I opened it to find the most beautiful bouquet of pink roses. I gasped slightly when I looked at them. I picked them up, only to realize they were fake.

I couldn’t hide my disappointment, but I placed them back in the box, and tucked the box under my arm.

I went at the Monovendo machine again. Out from the bottom came a white ball, about the size of a grapefruit. It had no writing on it, just a blue circle at the bottom. I shook it, and in a triangle, a message came to me: “Will I ever get married?”

It was a magic white ball. It asked you questions that a magic 8-ball would usually ask.

I put it in my bag, and went at the Monovendo again.

A large, thick piece of shiny fabric, stuck out the bottom of the vending machine. I went to pull it out, and it just kept going. I pulled and pulled and pulled, until six feet of sleeping bag came out from the bottom. A large tag on it said _hydrophobic_.

The machine was addictive, and I allowed myself to try once more. A book popped out the bottom, and I pulled it out. The cover was of the profile of a skull, with the hilarious title _100 Celebrity X-Rays_.  
I laughed at the title, because it reminded me of exactly who I wanted to see.

“Gon!” I called after the doctor who was walking toward his cabin.

He turned on his heel toward me with a smile on his face, “Hey! Sen! How’re you doing?”

“I’m-” I smiled absently, “I’m gonna keep going, regardless of how I am!”

“Hey, that’a girl!” Gon pat my shoulder, “It’s- It’s okay to be… I’m scared too.”

I nodded at him, and asked, “Would you want to get some tea?”

“You know,” he smiled earnestly, “I would love that.”

We walked together, toward the dining hall. I looked at him, who walked proudly with his head high. A smile crept on my lips as I asked, “It’s weird to see you without Haruka at your side!”

“Oh!” His face immediately reddened, “She… She’s taking a nap. She didn’t get great sleep last night.”

“Yeah, I could see why.” I thanked him as he held the door open for me.

I made the both of us cups of tea and we sat opposite each other at the large dining table. Gon blew on his tea gently, and I asked him, “Hey, you don’t have to answer this… but what’s up with you and Haruka?”

Gon choked on the steam coming from the tea. He set down his cup and smiled goofily, “I, uh… I don’t know. I wish- Can you keep a secret?”

“Absolutely,” I mirrored his smile. His butterflies were infectious.

“I like her. I like her a lot. I feel- I feel like we have this connection that I can’t explain… Like I- Man, I don’t know.” He ran his hands through his short hair, “Do you think- Do you think she likes me too?”

I made a point to laugh loudly and roll my eyes, “She likes you too. You know that, I know that, literally everyone- Even Monokuma knows that.”

He chuckled, and wrapped his hands around this teacup, “I know, I’m just… I’m scared.”

“We’re all scared,” I shrugged, “but I think you should be scared of Monokuma, and camp. I don’t think you should be scared of Haruka and her feelings. I think you should tell her.”

He nodded and took a sip of his tea, then shook his head, “That was too hot.”

“Yeah, the tea boiler gets it real hot!” I laughed.

He blew on his tea just a bit more. We talked a bit about life: middle school and friends and family. He had a cat named Femur.

It reminded me: I dug through my bag to hand him the book I just got from the vending machine. “Hey, this reminded me of you.”

“This!” He held the book in front of him, “I didn’t even know something like this existed!”

“I guess it does! It’s perfect for you though!”

“It is! Thank you so much Sen,” he nodded to himself, “You’re really something.”

“Gon, I have a question.”

“If it’s about Haru, I-”

“It’s not,” I assured, “It’s about your talent.”

“Oh, me being an osteopath?”

“Yeah! What does one do when they’re an osteopath?”

“Well, I know I simply say I’m a bone doctor… But I’m not necessarily. I am definitely interested in all things human skeleton, but there are other orthopedic doctors out there. I really just specialize in the manipulation of the musculoskeletal system to treat various disorders.”

“Do you do surgery?” I asked.

“No, I’m not a surgeon,” his teeth were beautiful and straight, just as Haruka said, “What I do is work with the muscles and skeleton, though I am more passionate about the skeleton, to maintain and reestablish health. It’s preemptive stuff.”

“Then you calling yourself a bone doctor is incorrect?” I asked, confused.

“Well… Yeah,” he smiled sheepishly, “I just- I really have a strong love for the human skeleton. I wanted to be a orthopedic doctor or surgeon… Hopefully that’s in my future!”

“I hope so too!”

“Say Sen-” Gon began, but turned to the door as it opened. Haruka stood, sleepily rubbing her eye as she walked in.

Her face grew pink as she saw Gon and I, and she stuttered, “O-Oh! Am I- I interrupting s-something?”

“Oh! No,” I stood with a kind smile on my face, “I’m actually just leaving. You two can have a chat, I’m actually gonna go-”

“If you’re going…” Haruka began, “Could you check on Mitsuo? He’s sitting at the end of the dock, just sitting there. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

“Oh, yeah,” I nodded, “I’ll go check on him.” I took my cup into the back, and then exited. Before leaving, I looked at Gon, who looked back at me. I nodded at him, and he nodded back.

Outside, the sun was setting. I couldn’t believe it, it was already approaching evening.

And Haruka was exactly right. I walked a bit from the mess hall to see Mitsuo, sitting by himself at the end of the dock.

I approached, and as my footsteps tapped on the dock, his head darted back.

“Hey,” I gave a little wave.

He looked at me with glassy eyes and nodded his head.

“Can I sit?”

He scooted over, and I stood next to him.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Mitsuo swallowed.

“You- You don’t seem fine.”

“I’m… I wanted to watch the sunset.”

“Well,” I finally sat, swinging my legs over the edge of the dock like he did, “I’m gonna sit and watch it with you.”

He let out a breathless chuckle and shrugged.

“Why the sunset?” I asked.

“Why not?” He argued.

“You’re right,” I nodded, “it’s really pretty.”

He swallowed hard. I could tell he was holding something in, but I wouldn’t push it.

We sat in silence together, watching the orange reflection of the sun in the water as it started to dip below thick pine trees.

“You know,” Mitsuo creaked, “the sun is always gonna set, and it’s always gonna rise… It’s certain and actual.”

“Yeah?”

“But… This, this game, the murders… Joben is dead. This is real, but- It’s not certain. It’s not certain that I’m gonna wake up tomorrow. I don’t know if someone’s gonna slit my throat for a box tonight. So… So I’m just gonna watch the sunset. Because… Because I can hold onto it as something that I can hold onto. Time is passing and I’m still here to watch the sun rise and set.”

“But time is passing, and you’re still here.”

“But for how long? What if I’m the next Joben? What if I’m the next Cho?”

I felt a lump in my throat rise, that I just had to shove and shove and shove down, “I won’t let anything happen to you. I can’t- Not you too. You have to promise-”

He shook his head, and he said, “I can’t promise you anything.”

I was taken aback by that, and I clutched his hand in mine and I said, “Mitsuo, even if you don’t mean it… Please.”

He looked at me, and he finally let tears spill out of his eyes and shook his head.

I shoved the lump down further.

“I- I,” he stammered, “I don’t know what to say Sen.”

I squeezed his hand harder, “Just say you promise.”

The sun began to dip below the trees. Its warm, orange light was no longer strong. It just radiated from above the pines. His face was more in shadow that before.

His hand squeezed mine, and he whispered gravelly, “If you’re safe… Then yes, I promise. I promise I’ll be safe.”

Together, we watched the light completely disappear until we were in darkness. Then together, we sat in silence, the three of us: Me, Mitsuo, and our promise.

We didn’t say anything else. We just stared at the black abyss that the lake became. Eventually Mitsuo stood, bending over slightly so he was still holding my hand, and he said, “I’m gonna walk you back to your cabin.”

“Oh are you?” I smiled as he helped me up.

As we stood, he quite suddenly let go of my hand and laughed nervously. I laughed, and we walked back to my cabin.

“Hey,” he cleared his throat, “I’ve been meaning to tell you… Uh, about the whole sweater incident… I don’t know what she was saying, but uh, your sweater was in the laundry room and Cho wasn’t there, and that’s why I took it.”

“I thought you said it was hanging on the line,” I bantered, “Did you just wanna steal it?”

“No!” he barked, “I gave it to you, didn’t I?”

“I’m just teasing you!” I giggled, “I understand. You saw the sweater and you wanted to be the one to deliver it. Very valiant of you. True chivalry. My knight in shining armor!” I faked a faint. He shoved me slightly.

I was at my front step when Mitsuo said, “Hey Sen.”

I took one step up before turning around, “Yeah?”

“Keep your promise, and I’ll keep mine.”

“Of course, Mitsuo,” I flashed him a smile, and I went inside.

I fooled around in my room until the nighttime announcement went off, then I decided it was time for bed.

“Good evening campers! It is now 11 o’clock, and officially night time. As a reminder, the backstage room, and the dining halls are now off limits, and their doors will be closed until morning.

Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma sits in bed with a wet rag on his forehead. Gurekuma puts a thermometer in his mouth and blushes at the camera.

“I know big brother usually does these things… But he’s too weak right now. I guess I have to fill in. Uhhhh… Isn’t today just yesterday’s tomorrow? That just makes the future endless! How was that?”

**Students Remaining: 14**


	10. Chapter Two: In Every Box, There is Despair (PART II)

I had a dream about Joben. We were reading in a beautiful mahogany library together. As he turned the pages on his novel, he looked at me with happy eyes. Cho was there too. She came up behind me and rested on my head. She asked me what I was reading and Joben made a snide remark. She shot him a glare and tousled his hair.

We all seemed friendly. It felt good.

And then the harsh reality of it all woke me up.

Monokuma’s nasally voice: “Goooood morning happy campers! It is now 8AM and nighttime is officially over! All rooms are now accessible. Have a wonderful day!”

My eyes opened up to a ceiling that wasn’t my home bedroom, in sheets that weren’t mine, to an alarm clock that meant death. I wasn’t hungry, but I went to the dining room to see everyone enjoying breakfast peacefully.

Except there wasn’t a peaceful family breakfast laid out before me. It was Noboru, his elbow pointed against the table, arm wrestling Shun, who was easily double his size. He was holding his own against him, as Shun was going pink in the face, trying his hardest to get Noboru to bend to his will. Ginko, Ami, and Afu were shouting for Shun. Zuzu, Hibiki, and Takumi were shouting for Noboru.

Everyone else watched in an awed glory.

I immediately ran to the tableside to watch. It was incredible. Noboru wasn’t breaking a sweat, he was just looking straight at Shun with unimpressed eyes and the strength of a horse wrapped up in that tiny little body.

Eventually, Shun pooped out, letting Noboru smack his hand flat on the table. A bunch of people threw items on the table, even Oda: a pack of floss, gum, chocolate candies, a pair of tweezers, hand sanitizer. Noboru pulled them into himself and said, “I told you I was stronger than I look.”

“Yeah, but stronger than Shun? He’s like three times your size!” Afu groaned.

“Nobody here can stop me,” Noboru declared with a cocky smile, “I know I don’t look like much, but I make up for it with strength and talents as a jockey.”

“A horse jockey,” Zuzu interjected.

“There’s not such fucking thing as anything other than a horse jockey!” Noboru snapped.

“Yeah, like,” Zuzu gestured to himself, “a disc jockey. And a jock strap, and then there’s horse jockeys.”

“God you’re abhorrent,” Noboru shoved his winnings in his pockets.

“If you mean these,” Zuzu lifted the hem of his tank top, revealing nicely toned abdominal muscles, “then thanks lil’ guy. Love you too.” He ruffled his hair. Noboru was visually steaming as he watched

Zuzu walk out. Hibiki followed him. Takumi turned green, and exited as well.

“I wanna do one with Noboru!” Afu yelled, everyone looked at her.

“Afu, Noboru almost broke my arm,” Shun tried to let the little puffball down gently.

She rolled up her sleeves nonetheless, “I didn’t get to be an Olympic ping pong champ with noodle arms!” She sat across from Noboru and said, “Hit me, ponyboy.”

They made contact with their hands. Shun reluctantly placed his hand over both of the clasped ones, and counted, “Okay, three, two, one.”

It was almost instantaneous. Shun lifted his hand and with a loud and triumphant smack, the back of Afu’s hand hit the table, and she flinched in pain. Noboru retracted his hand regretfully and frowned, “I thought you’d give more of a fight. I’m sorry.”

“No, I- I just wasn’t ready!” Afu blushed a thick pink. She settled herself more into the dining chair and said, “Shun, again!”

Shun went for it again, with no faith for Afu in his face. He let out another count.

Noboru’s arm clenched. Afu fought it with all her might. She even stood up, tried with two hands, and shoved all her body weight into it. Nothing moved Noboru. Slowly, he brought her hand to the table, gently and said, “Sorry Afu, you’re a little too soft to fight me.”

“Fuck you, I’m not soft! I just need to go one level down from your freak strength! Shun, you’re up.”

“Afu, I don’t think this is a good-”

“Shut it,” she snarled, and readied herself. Shun clasped his hand to hers and brought her down with ease.

She looked dejected, and looked around the room.

“I- I can win against… Oda, how about you?”

“I carried babies all day and held the hands of women in labor,” Oda raised an eyebrow, “You wanna try me?”

She swallowed and scanned the room. She looked at me, “W-What about you, Sen?”

I shrugged, and approached the table. It wasn’t hard to bring her feeble little arm to the table in a few seconds. She looked shocked when I won.

With a panic-stricken face, she looked around and said, “Uh, uh, you,” her finger pointed to Haruka, who audibly yelped, “You’re probably worse off than I am! How about you!”

“I- I- I don’t know…”

“Come on! Please.”

Haruka’s eyebrows unpinned and she sat across Afu. I officiated the fight gently, placing my hand over their clasped hands and letting them go for it. Haruka bit her lower lip, and strained for only a moment, against Afu, who tried her hardest, but it was only a matter of time before Haruka won.

Afu was broken by this. She looked around and asked in a small voice, “Am I the weakest one here?”

“No!” Ginko sat across from her, “Remember the night with all the bots in the forest? You fought harder than anyone else! You killed one of those fuckin’ junky monsters! You’re amazing Puffball! Plus,none of these losers can call themselves olympic athletes.” Ginko rolled up her sleeve, exposing an obvious bicep. It was actually impressive to look at.

“Hey,” she looked straight into Afu’s glassy eyes and said, “You still haven’t asked me.”

Afu sniffed, and clasped her hand to Ginko’s. She looked at me, “Yo, Senny, you do the honors?”

I shrugged and nodded, knowing that Afu was again, going to fail miserably, but she agreed to the match.

Upon starting the match, Ginko went limp, letting Afu drive her hand into the table with ease. After Afu “won”, Ginko rounded the table and announced, “Holy shit! Did everyone see that! I, Ginko, the beautiful glassmaking queen, just lost my first ever arm wrestling match! To Fusae Ando, the most beautiful and strong ping pong champion in all of Ja- the world! What are you gonna do now?” She mocked a microphone and held it to Afu’s face.

Afu smiled embarrassedly, pursed her lips and said, “I’m gonna go to Disneyland!”

“Oh boy!” Ginko grabbed ahold of her hand and shouted, “Let’s go!” She tugged her out of the dining hall. It warmed my heart.

Breakfast came and went, and I spent some time alone in my cabin. I went to look for Haruka, but she was busy flirting with Gon when I found her. From behind me, Ginko remarked, “Hey Senny, you watchin’ those nerds court?”

“No,” I turned around, slightly shocked she was even there, “I- I- Where’s Afu?”

“She went to the spa, she said she needed a little alone time. I guess the impromptu tournament really fucked her up, she needed to blow off some steam… Or get steamed,” she kicked at the ground, “I didn’t know it would hurt her feelings so bad.”

“Neither did I,” I frowned, “but I guess this killi- Whatever Monokuma’s putting us though might be scary if you think you’re weak.”

“Do you wanna hang out?” Her eyes were worried. Her hands were occupied, clicking and unclicking one of Afu’s barrettes.

“Uh, sure!” I shrugged, “What do you have in mind?”

Ginko took me to the shore of the lake, where she made me roll up my pants and wade the water with her. She reminisced, “You know, I used to do this with my brothers when we were little. Except instead of a lake, it was a stream. I was just real short. Smaller than Afu even.”

“Smaller than Afu?”

“Yeah, I mean, considering I was like- eight.”

“Oh,” this was less surprising.

“Yeah, but we used to wade the waters together and pick up cool shit we found. Sometimes it was coins, sometimes it was trash. We still had fun.”

“So were you close with your brothers?”

“Yeah, super close. Did you know they were super high school levels too?”

“Really?” I felt like I knew, because of Narumi’s psychoanalysis.

“Yeah, my oldest brother Keisuke was the Super High School Level director. He graduated a long time ago, the guys seven years older than I am. He moved to America and is pretty big over there. I still talk to him on the phone a lot, but I haven’t seen him in… Well, in years…”

“Years?”

“He got big! And busy.”

“Still, with a sister like you, I feel like he should come visit. Especially if he’s making money over in Hollywood.”

“Hey, thanks Sen… You’re the coolest.”

“I’m really not.”

“Lets dry off on the shore.” She gestured me over. I sat down next to her.

“Hey,” I said, digging in my bag, “There was this thing I found, and I thought of you.”

“Whoa, gimme.”

I pulled out the magic white ball, and handed it to her.

She looked at it puzzled, and gave it a shake. The question at the bottom asked, Will I ever be famous?

“Oh fuck! This is one of those companions to the Magic 8-Ball! Did you know these fuckers are collectors items?”

“I didn’t!”

“Oh,” she raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, they only made one shipment of them, because they were so dumb. Whoever’s fuckin’ idea it was got their ass fired. I think they’re funny as hell. Thanks Senny!”

“It’s no problem.”

She gave the ball another shake, and then she looked up at me, “Hey, how to you manage to stay so cool when you’ve already lost so much?”

“What?” I asked.

“Well, I mean, you lost your talent, or more like the ability to do your talent, cause you’re out here and none of us are gettin’ married. And well… Cho… And still, you’re nice to everyone, even the dickish librarian. How do you manage to stay so cool?”

“I’m not-”

“I don’t mean sunglasses and a skateboard cool. I mean level headed cool. You’re keepin’ your cool when everything is fucked up. It might not look like it, but I’m hanging on by my pinky rinnow. This shit’s too much, you know?”

“Of course I know. I’m having a hard time myself,” I cleared my throat, “but my mom and dad, they kinda… They didn’t like emotional stuff. They didn’t like crying or feelings or any of that, so I grew up not liking any of it either. So even if… Even if it’s hard over here… I just gotta look to the future. And, more importantly, I gotta survive, because Cho asked us to, you know?”

“Because Cho asked us to,” Ginko nodded, “That girl was crazy. Murder for some pussy. I respect it.”

I laughed a little, and then swallowed down the bad taste of the joke. It was real, Cho did murder.

Ginko cracked her knuckles and said, “Fuck if I ain’t hungry. You hungry?”

I shook my head and yawned, “I’m actually sleepy. I’m gonna take a nap.”

She helped me up and said, “See ya around Senny.”

I headed back to my cabin and laid in the bed staring at the ceiling. I thought about my family. My mom and dad. They were probably worried sick about me. I felt my cheeks get wet with the runnings from my eyes and I swallowed hard.

“Push, Sen,” I whispered to myself, “push it deep down, and eventually it’ll fizzle out.”

I fell asleep.

I had another dream. It was vivid.

My dad and mom actually saying goodbye to me, before sending me off. It was nice. I got to hug them one last time.

I woke up, and immediately felt a wave of melancholy over me, like some sort of horrible wash. I stepped out of bed and checked the time. It was nearly three in the afternoon.

My stomach rumbled, calling for something yummy from the kitchen, but when I neared my door, I saw a note on the floor:

“MEET ME AT ARCHERY RANGE ALONE. IMPORTANT.”

I frowned, and headed to Mitsuo’s cabin.

I knocked, waiting patiently for him to answer. He looked at me and said, “What’s up?”

“I, uh, got this note and… I’m not going alone.”

“Yeah, uh,” Mitsuo grabbed his coat, “Like hell I’ll let you go alone. Lemme put on my shoes and grab… I dunno, a rock?”

“Sounds fine to me.”

And so Mitsuo and I set off onto the trail, toward the archery range. About five minutes into the hike my stomach grumbled, and Mitsuo laughed slightly, “You hungry?”

I admitted, “I took a nap instead of eating lunch.”

“I could tell, you have bedhead.”

I stiffened, realizing that I didn’t do anything after I woke up. I just put my shoes on and left.

“It’s a good look, don’t go getting all insecure.”

I nudged him, and he laughed. He handed me a bag of assorted nuts, “I took these from the mess hall for when I get snacky. Take it.”

“Thanks… jerk,” I opened the container with my teeth, and went to town on those nuts. He teased me, calling me a squirrel. I revealed that squirrels were some of my favorite animals. His favorite was an elephant.

Being with Mitsuo… It made the hike bearable.

Upon reaching the other part of the campground, I threw my trash in an overflowing trashcan. Monokuma appeared from behind it and said, “Hey, shithead!”

I jumped.

“No littering!”

“I didn’t-” I looked at the ground. My package had fallen out.

“Hey, leave her alone man,” Mitsuo argued, “It just fell.”

“Shut up, hack!”

“Don’t listen to him Mitsuo,” I gingerly set my trash atop the pile, “Does that please you, your majesty!”

“Majesty… Me, royalty? I like that. I like that a whole lot! Upupupu,” he giggled, “How about, instead of Camp Leader Monokuma you call me-”

“No,” I interrupted.

He sulked almost immediately, “Damn kids.”

“Come on Sen,” Mitsuo reached for my hand. I snapped it away. He looked embarrassed, “Sorry.”

“No! I just- Let’s just go to the Archery Range,” I said, feeling my cheeks warm up.

From the outside, the archery range looked empty. All the bows were hung up and in their correct place. The wood plank fence that led to the actual targets was closed.

“Uh,” I called over the fence, “I got your note. I didn’t come alone though cause… Well, that would be stupid. So Mitsuo’s here if you’re planning anything.” I paused for a reply or a sound of someone trying to abort their mission to kill me. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of me being the next victim.

“Just open the door,” Mitsuo urged.

“I don’t want to,” I frowned.

“Do you want me to?” he asked earnestly.

I nodded and took a step back.

Mitsuo walked past me and opened the wood gate… What we saw… Well, what we saw was nothing short of horrific.

It was a body; its rib cage exposed and ripped open. Its face turned to a pink puddle. The clothes barely hung on to the form. The legs were blanketed by one of the canvases that were stretched over the targets at the range. The only reason I recognized her was the head of curly, pink cotton candy for hair.

It was Afu, the Super High School Level ping pong champion, and she had been completely eviscerated.

Mitsuo lunged backwards and cried, “What the _fuck_?”

I remember dry heaving. It was horrible. Awful. I don’t know who would have done such a thing.

But someone did.

Monokuma pranced in behind us, mischievously pressing a paw to his mouth, “You guys makin’ ou- Oh!”

“Why hasn’t the body discovery announcement played?” Mitsuo barked.

“We need at least three people at once to witness a body!” Monokuma pointed, “There’s only two people, one bear, so you gotta get a third.”

“Why not two?” I asked, forcing myself to turn away from the body.

“Because what if two people are in kahoots? If they’re both there, covered in blood, and the discovery announcement plays, what are they gonna do to cover up their crimes?”

“You can’t just make shit up like that!” Mitsuo barked.

“Uh, no that’s exactly what I can do, in fact,” he snapped his paw, and both of our tablets beeped. Another rule was added to the rule book: the ninth rule stated three living people must be present for a body discovery announcement to go off.

“I- I- I-” I stammered, “We need to get someone…”

“But we can’t… We can’t leave the body,” Mitsuo looked back at what remained of Afu, “What if the killer moves it? Or maims it even more than it already is maimed?”

I bit my lip, and Mitsuo placed both of his hands on my shoulders. He said, “Sen. I’m gonna run as fast as I can to find someone. You just stay right here, okay? And, uh,” he fished in his pocket, “Take this. For safety.”

He handed me a rock.

He let go of my shoulders and shouted, “I’ll be right back.” And ran out.

I looked at Monokuma, feeling ill and hopeless, and he awkwardly rubbed his elbow, “So, see any good movies lately?”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, “Why do you want us to feel like this? We’re trapped animals… The only thing we can do to get out is lash out! Why do you want this so bad? Why?”

Monokuma’s maw opened wide, and he let out a loud kackle, “Because the _utter despair_ is so fucking tasty! Like right now, look at you. Ginko said you were cool, level-headed, but now you’re a puddle of your former self. You’re sad, you downshifted, you’re mad with pain! It’s utter despair, girlie! The most powerful human emotion in the _world!"_

I looked at him. He was right. The power of despair seemed to rock my whole body around. I took a deep breath, squatted to the ground at Afu’s feet, facing away from her, plugged my ears, closed my eyes, and hummed myself a tune.

“What are you doing?”

I heard him, but I didn’t answer.

“Hey, officiant. Are you trying to fart?” The bear tapped me.

I did my best to tune him out.

I didn’t have a favorite song or tune. I just had to hum anything to get me out of the situation I was in. Nothing comforted me. Nothing snapped me out of the despair hellscape that was my situation. I tried not to weep. I tried to forget Afu laid next to me, her corpse completely ruined.

The thoughts would not leave me.

Mitsuo came back with Noboru, who had been in the library. My eyes opened when the ding of the body discovery announcement rang out.

“Attention everyone! A body has been discovered! Please head to the archery range,” Monokuma called.

I stood and opened my eyes. Noboru looked as shocked as I felt.

One by one, people headed in: wincing and averting their gazes. Haruka legitimately screamed upon seeing the body. But Ginko, Ginko was late. And I couldn’t bear her reaction.

She looked at us, a crowd around the body, and she asked with only the slightest tint of fear in her tone, “Have any of you seen Afu?”

None of us answered her.

Immediate panic set in. She pushed past us, combing with strong and persistent arms to the body. Gon stood slightly in front of her and said, “It’s not a good idea.”

Ginko shoved him, and saw what once was Afu at her feet. She wailed and dropped to her knees. I hadn’t heard anything like her open weeping. It was raw and harsh and powerful. Her hands trembled over the viscera that was her body and she whimpered, “Fusae… Who… Who could’ve done this.”

She moved a piece of bang from her muddled face and wept, she looked up at us and said, “How… How could… Who did this?”

She didn’t sound angry. She sounded confused. She looked like a shell of her mostly outspoken self. Narumi knelt on the ground next to her and brought her in for a hug. Ginko cried into her arms.

Monokuma appeared, and knelt by the both of them, “You ladies alright? Need a tissue?”

“Leave them alone,” I demanded.

“But what about the motive?” Monokuma asked, “It’s waiting for everyone in the library.”

“The motive?” Takumi asked.

“Yeah! I mean, why else would someone have done such a gruesome, disgusting murder? I mean, for real! This is the most violent thing my bear eyes have ever seen! Like, just look at it,” he gestured with his paws, “What the _hell_! Someone needed to express something. I’m glad it was her, and not me.”

“Shut up,” Oda kicked the dust around him.

“I’ll let that slide,” Monokuma huffed.

Shun barked, “Afu was our friend! This isn’t a time for motives or prizes cause someone fucking mutilated her!”

“Jeez, jeez, tough crowd,” Monokuma pointed though the crowd at Gurekuma, “It was all her idea anyways!”

“Wha- Wha- Wha!” Gurekuma fell straight on her bum, “No! I swear it wasn’t! I just have to do what he says, or I get fired!”

“Why _wouldn’t_ you want to be fired?” Ami asked.

“No, not dismissed. _Fired,_ ” Gurekuma gestured firing a flamethrower.

We were all silent after that.

“Anyways, everyone to the library,” Monokuma plugged his button nose, “Let this corpse air out.”

Ginko, on all fours, clutched the dirt, “I’m not moving.”

“Huh?” Monokuma tilted his head.

Narumi tried to help her up, but Ginko stayed in her position, her knees and palms in the dirt, “I’m not leaving Afu’s body alone here.”

“I’ll stay here with you,” Narumi pulled her skirt down a bit more, and sat next to her, “the rest of you should see the motive. And be safe.” Nurturing, she pulled Ginko into her arms, resting her head on her chest, and petting her hair. She whispered, “It’s okay Ginko.”

Ginko sobbed, loudly, and openly.

Nobody felt comfortable just watching her sob in Narumi’s arms. We all followed the team of bears.

**Students Remaining: 13**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO SORRY  
> also sorry i didnt draw the body for this chapter, just the feet, because her death is straight nasty and idk hwo to draw


	11. Chapter Two: In Every Box, There is Despair (PART III)

Our footsteps were crunchy against the dirt ground on the way to the library. Nobody said anything. It was like we were also being marched to our deaths.

Inside the library, at the front desk, sat the present.

“Go ahead, open it,” Monokuma sat in the desk person’s chair and did a little spin.

We were all silent. I knew what was going through everyone’s heads, because the same thought entered mine: The person who volunteers to open the present was the one who looked the most suspicious.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Oda walked deadpan toward the gift and opened the paper. It was a plain brown box. She tore the box open, and pulled out a thin, black, hardcover book.

“What is it?” Hibiki asked.

Oda looked at the blank, black front and back, and sneered, “Afu died… For this?”

“Yeah, kinda sad, isn’t it?” Monokuma snickered.

“Leave them alone!” Gurekuma argued.

Oda opened up the book, and we could all see her eyes light up. She whispered under her breath, “What the…”

Noboru pulled her arm down and peeked at the book, “Holy shit.” He looked instantly shocked. It didn’t take long for us to all peer in.

And there, in front of all of us, was a two page spread. The left picture was Haruka and Gon, touching the tips of their noses. They were both clad in brown uniforms, with the lab coats they wore at that moment over them. Haruka’s lavender hair reached her chest, and Gon wore red framed glasses. They stared at one another with the same love in their eyes as they always seemed to at camp. A full page article accompanied them on the right page entitled _Super High School Level Lovebirds._

__

“Gon… Haruka…” Mitsuo looked at them, “Have you guys dated in the past?”

“No!” Haruka blushed pink.

“Or are they dating in secret!” Zuzu pointed at them.

“I would remember that!” Haruka barked. Her face was getting hot.

Gon’s eyes scanned the page, “It says… we met… in class!” He pointed at the date next to the blacked out name of the person who wrote the article, “The article is dated this year!”

“‘ _I don’t think marriage is anywhere immediate for us_ ’,” I read aloud, “‘ _but when the day somes that our work feels like it is allowed to be secondary to our love lives, then of course we’ll call on Sen Oshiro. She’s a wonderful friend, and I’d like to think she’s do it for us in a heartbeat._ ’”

“Who said that?” Gon asked.

“You.”

His face was the color of a dragon fruit.

Oda turned the page. It was a two page spread of Ginko, working in her glass blowing lab. We wore a brown, stained apron over her schoolgirl uniform. Her blazer was off, and the sleeves to her blouse were cut off. Ginko bared her teeth and stared challengingly into the camera, with a molten piece of glass at the end of her wand.

We turned the page, and all of us felt immediate guilt.

The picture on the right was a candid of Afu teaching Ginko how to play ping pong. The article on the left was titled “Tutored Technique by Table Tennis Tournament Pro”.

“We gotta go back,” I said, turning around to see Haruka and Gon having a moment. I couldn’t help but listen in.

Gon said, “I knew it, I knew it… This makes so much more sense. I didn’t… I knew I was drawn to you. And I’m not someone who believes in love at first sight, or fate, or soulmates… but seeing you here at camp made me doubt everything I knew. But, of course, you were what was missing from me. Haruka, I-”

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Haruka stammered, nervous as to how close her was getting to her. Her face was bright, bright red, “I’d have to say I’m glad! I- I- I just… Wow! You know?”

“Haruka,” Gon looked her dead in the eye, “You were my missing piece in the calamity of this. I’m in complete, utter, nonsensical love with you.” His hands transferred themselves to her cheeks, and he kissed her with earnesty.

I had seen a lot of wedding kisses. This felt like one of them. They were actually in love… in all of this.

He let go of her, and looked into her starry eyes.

Oda coughed, “Come on you guys. There’s a murder we have to investigate.”

Gon turned to all of us. We were all watching that confession. Nobody wanted to admit it, but we were all rooting for them. He cleared his throat and said, “Ah-ha, sorry. That was completely inappropriate.”

“Just let them make out!” Zuzu groaned at Oda, “God knows that’s all they been thinkin’ about since they laid eyes on each other! We’ll just-”

“Do the investigation without two of our most intelligent campers?” Noboru asked, “You really are an idiot.”

“Leave him alone!” Hibiki sneered, “Sorry Zu believes in love.”

“You wish he could process love in that peanut of a brain,” Noboru raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms in his windbreaker, making a zippy noise, “We all know you do.”

“Shut up!” Hibiki shouted.

“Come on, be nice, _everyone_ ,” Ami said.

Mitsuo broke off from the argument and approached Monokuma. It caught my eye. He asked, “Where’s the Monokuma file?”

The bear tilted its head. Oda turned on a dime in realization, “Yeah, wait… Where’s the file?”

Monokuma clutched his belly, “Oh silly Gurekuma must’ve left it at the office.”

“I wasn’t even asked to grab it!” She pressed her paws to her cheeks.

“Can someone go get it?” Mitsuo asked rather sassy, “because I know how limited the time is for these things.”

“Wait, are you doing this on purpose? To fuck us over?” Oda snatched the book from Takumi’s hands, “Did you doctor a fake? So we’ll skip the investigation and get ourselves killed?”

“Hey, hey!” Monokuma held his hands up innocently, “This was a gift to the blackened for doing their job! Let them enjoy it!”

“Okay, fine,” Oda tucked the book under her armpit, and shouted to the rest of the campers, minus Ginko and Narumi, “No more book. Not until the trail’s over. So whatever sick fuck killed Afu doesn’t get to enjoy their _gift._ Bear, get us the file, _now_.”

“She’s right,” I said, “Afu deserves justice before any of us get to look at this, uh, whatever it is.”

“Gurekuma,” Monokuma gestured for her to help him out of the chair. She laid on her tummy below the chair, and he stepped on her back to get down. We watched as she pathetically stood in front of her brother. He barked, “Make yourself useful and fetch the file!”

“O- Okay,” she hung her head low, and left the library.

Monokuma snickered to himself, and pulled the file out of his mouth, “And here it is! _The Monokuma File!_ ”

He handed it to Mitsuo. Mitsuo looked at him in confusion.

“Just so she leaves me alone. Little sisters can be annoying, you know? But I’m gonna go follow her and see how long she looks for it before she gives up! Have fun, good luck!”

I shot Mitsuo a face, and he shrugged.

Oda said, “We should head back and take a look at the Monokuma file when we get back to Afu.”

Back at the archery range, Narumi and Ginko were in the same position, but Ginko wasn’t crying anymore. She was just silent.

Narumi looked up at us and asked, “Any news?”

“The motive is-” I began.

“The motive is off limits until after the investigation,” Oda said, “it’s a book. It gives no clue to who the murderer is, so we can check it out _after_ the trial.”

“But we’ve got the file,” Mitsuo held up the file, “Should I?”

“Tell me what happened,” Ginko begged, her voice faltering.

“ _The victim is Fusae Ando, the Super High School Level Ping Pong Champion. The victim’s body was found at the Archery Range. The estimated time of death is 10:03 AM. The victim’s heart was punctured directly, killing her almost instantly. No pre-mortem injuries or substances, such as poisons, have been detected.”_

There were a few things I could immediately gather from that **Monokuma file.**

Ginko nodded, and uncovered her body fully. There was so much to take in. Shun lowered his head to not have to look at what happened to her.

I looked at Mitsuo, who looked back at me, and took a deep breath.

“It’s about… eight hours after the murder… So this took place after breakfast.”

“She- She told me she was going to the spa to soak, she said she wanted to be alone,” Ginko squeaked, “I didn’t- I didn’t… I was probably the last person who saw her before she… Except for the killer.”

“We need to know who was the last person to see her. Who was out here at this part of the camp?”

“I was here,” Noboru confirmed honestly, “I like to steam in the mornings now that we have a spa. I was definitely there from… After our arm wrestling competition to about ten-thirty.”

“And did Afu come in?” Ginko asked, “Cause I was with her for about ten minutes after the arm wrestling competition, then she went to her room, and suddenly had to go to the spa.”

“Someone came in to the girl’s side right as I was about to leave,” I said, “but they just ran the water and left.”

I nodded. There was a lot to think about in both **Noboru’s account** and **Ginko’s account**.

“You know who else I saw before I went in for the soak?” Noboru remembered, “I saw you, Oda… Practicing with the bows and arrows.”

“Yeah, I practiced from about eight-thirty to nine,” Oda confirmed.

“But… how do you practice?” I asked, “None of the bows are strung.”

“I string them myself to practice, then unstring them so nobody can use them,” Oda said.

“How know how to string a bow?” Hibiki raised an eyebrow.

“How else would I practice archery?” Oda said, deadpan.

“You could always pretend?” Ami suggested. We all ignored her.

“Do you have proof you left at nine?” Gon asked.

She looked him dead in the eye, “Yes. I do. Because it takes twenty minutes to get back to the main camp. Ami saw me at the showers, where I headed immediately once I was done practicing, at about nine-twenty.”

“Oh yeah!” Ami smiled, “I asked you the time! You said-”

“9:23.”

“But that still doesn’t give you an alibi,” Ami said, “Don’t we need to go over alibis.”

“Yeah, how well did that go in our last trial?” Oda shot daggers Ami’s way. Ami’s brow furrowed, offended. She continued, “We need to investigate the areas. Maybe Afu left a clue as to why she didn’t go to the spa in the spa. Mitsuo, Sen, you go.”

“C-Can I come with?” Haruka asked, “I’m sorry, I just can’t look at this for much longer.”

“Then I’m going with too,” Gon said, holding her hand, “The four of us will go!”

“That’s fine. We might need you later though, bone doctor,” Oda pointed at him, ‘Hurry though. We don’t know how much longer we have.”

The four of us walked together, Haruka and Gon holding hands like they’d done it a million times before. Mitsuo asked, “What are you guys gonna do if we find out those pictures are doctored?”

“Continue,” Gon said, and then looked at Haruka, “I- I hope.”

“I mean, fake or not, they gave us a little more courage to confess to one another, so that’s really neat. Even false hope is hope.”

“I’m glad it gave _someone_ a good feeling,” I said, “It just makes me feel more uneasy. I’ve got more questions than answers at this point.”

“Me too,” Mitsuo looked at me and smiled, “at least I’m not alone.”

Outside the spa, an ominous energy came.

“How about we split up,” Gon suggested, “Haruka and I-”

“You can’t do that,” Mitsuo said pointing to the spa sign: **_NO BOYS IN GIRLS SPA. NO GIRLS IN BOYS SPA. BREAKING OF THIS RULE WILL LEAD TO PUNISHMENT._** So this **bathroom rule** was a rule even the killer couldn’t break.

“I guess it’ll be Sen and I then,” Haruka smiled at me.

“C’mon Gon,” Mitsuo pulled him into the men’s room, “in we go.”

“Be safe,” Gon said to us, before disappearing into the spa, “Both of you.”

The spa just looked like a sad locker room, with a row of sinks and lockers, a large, steaming bath, and a door that said _Sauna_.

“I don’t see anything,” Haruka said, walking around the spa, “Should I check each locker?”

“Uh, sure,” I said, opening the sauna door. The room was empty and dark. I turned on the light: nothing. But turning on the light lit the rest of the spa just a bit better, and I was able to see something I hadn’t.

“What… Is this a mallet?” I picked it up, around the handle. The head was heavy and metal, “It’s a metal mallet… With a sticker?”

I peeled a moist piece of paper off it. I recognized it. It had the same handwriting as my note.

“What is it?”

I opened it up carefully. In cloudy pencil it said: “HE FOUND OUT. MEET AT ARCHERY RANGE INSTEAD.”

“Hey!” I said, “I got a note in this same handwriting! Do you think-”

“Sen!” Haruka gasped, “You were next!”

“Jeez, I hope not,” I frowned, “but what does this mean? ‘He found out’?”

“Maybe Afu was sneaking around with some boy?”

I shot her a look. She shrugged cluelessly. But still, she had a better idea than my lack of one. The **metal mallet** , **spa note** , and **the note I received** were all clues that were giving us a better idea of what happened to Afu.

We looked around the spa a little more. I turned to Haruka and asked, “Are you scared?”

“More than anything… I’ve got someone to fight for now. There’s more on the line… because now if we’re wrong, not only do I die, but Gon does too… And my dying breath, I know that he’s dying. I’m- Sen, I’m really scared.”

“This… Joben… Now Afu. It’s so weird that people are even participating in this game. I don’t want to believe it. It’s like… Someone here’s the killer.”

“Sen, can I tell you something… I think I saw something.”

My head darted up from a locker I was peering in, “What did you see?”

“I saw Noboru enter his cabin around 10:30,” she bit her lip, “I know I should’ve said something, but I didn’t want to hurl accusations when we’re not in the trial. I don’t want him to have time to make up an excuse.”

“I’m sure he has a good reason… I don’t think… Noboru wouldn’t. He- Remember how bad he felt when he smacked Afu’s hand against the table?”

“I agree! I don’t think he did it!” Haruka shook her head, “He just… He didn’t tell the truth. Maybe he’s covering for someone… Maybe he just wants an alibi. I know ‘I was in my room’ sounds more suspicious than anything.”

“Thanks for telling me though,” I pat her back, “I promise I won’t put you on the spot. How about this… When I think it's time to present that piece of evidence, I’ll shoot you a wink.” I told her this, because I knew I could have to reveal **Haruka’s account.**

Haruka snorted laughter, and said, “Deal.”“Let's go see if the boys found anything.”

Mitsuo and Gon were waiting outside the spa. Mitsuo was wet from his feet to hips, and one of his coat sleeves was wet to about the elbow.

“What happened to you?” I laughed.

He held up a **white scrap of fabric** , stained by blood, “Evidence at the bottom of bath. There was still water in the tub, and it got partially sucked into the filter, bringing it to the bottom. I had to… Fish it out.”

I snickered, “We got some evidence too.” I held the hammer by the handle, trying not to touch the end, where blood was a bit prominent.

“And a note,” Haruka held the damp paper.

“Shit… So something did go on in the spa,” Mitsuo put his hand to his chin.

“We should bring this evidence to the others,” Gon started to walk. We followed him, walking in silence.

“Hey, Sen,” Mitsuo stopped and pointed at the trashcan that I threw my nuts package wrapper away in, “Stop littering.”

The wrapper was on the floor again. It wasn’t my fault! The trashcan was overfilled. I went to throw away the wrapper, when bright pink caught my eye: blood.

“Hey,” I picked up a white piece of paper. There was just a spatter of blood on it, and it was crumpled, “Another note?”

In the same writing, the note said “NOBORU CHEATS AT ARM WRESTLING - MEET ME AT THE SPA. YOU CAN BEAT EVERYONE.”

“It’s the same writing as the other two!” Mitsuo pointed out, “This has gotta be the killer.”

“They sent Afu on a wild goose chase,” Haruka frowned, “So she was confused before she died… Jeez.”

The **trashcan note** was more evidence, but it left me feeling more confused and dissatisfied.

When we got back, everyone else was crowded around a locker.

“What are you guys doing?” Mitsuo asked.

Oda stood, “The killer-”

“Someone tried to prevent us from opening this locker and this locker alone. They hammered a wood chip into the place where you would put a lock, so you can’t open the locker,” Ami pointed to the chunk, “they got the chip from the archery range, over by the targets.”

“So… You guys have spent the whole time trying to get a piece of wood out of there?” I laughed a bit, “Will this help?” I held up the mallet.

“Shit,” Zuzu swore, “I got a splinter!”

“Give me that,” Shun grabbed me, “Where did you find it?”

“It’s evidence,” I said, “Careful of the blood.”

Shun yelped, and dropped the hammer.

Noboru picked it up and said, “So I assume you guys got lucky at the spa.”

“N-No! We wouldn’t! Not at a time like-” Haruka began.

Mitsuo interrupted her, “He means we found evidence.”

“Oh… Then yes,” she smoothed her coat.

Noboru rolled his eyes, and hammered the woodchip out. He was able to open the locker after that.

Inside was a bloody arrow, a gardening tool, and another note.

“What are these things?” Mitsuo picked up the gardening tool, it looked like a bent fork with pointed, sharp ends. He peeked at the ends, only to realize that it wasn’t pink metal, but rather the whole tool was covered in blood. He shuddered, and put it back down.

“That’s a cultivator,” Hibiki said, “My mom gardened a lot. You were supposed to rip up the soil with it. They’re sharp, but not exactly sharp enough to cut you without a lot of force..”

“It looks well used,” Mitsuo gagged, turning green.

The **bloody arrow** looked pretty pristine. Only blood to a certain point. The **cultivator** was the messy weapon. I picked up the **locker note** , and passed it to Mitsuo. It said ‘Nevermind, I couldn’t make it. Tell you later.’

I raised an eyebrow at the note.

“What’s up?” Mitsuo asked.

“Oh, just-”

Monokuma banged together some cymbals behind us, and scared us all.“What the fuck, bear?” Shun asked.

“Time! Is! Up!” Monokuma said with his calamitous noise, “Watching! Gurekuma! Got! Boring!”

“Wait!” Oda snapped, “I don’t-”

“You don’t what?” Monokuma laughed, “Know who did it? Isn’t that the most exciting part! Your lives are on the line here! So let’s get going!”

Oda took one long look at the locker, and swore under her breath.

“Monokuma,” Ginko peeped, her voice small and sad, “Is Afu’s body going to be gone by the time we get back?”

“Yeah,” Monokuma replied, “it’s been hard trying to get the flies offa her thus far! I’m not leaving her out any longer!”

“Can I say goodbye?” she asked. It was weird to see her ask permission, instead of demand.

Monokuma also looked taken aback. He looked at the rest of us, for a moment, and then waved his paw, “Do it fast! I don’t want any lollygagging!”

Ginko nodded, and walked outside. I watched her cover Afu up to her hairline with the sheet, and then pat her fluffy, pink hair. She tucked her lips inside her own mouth, swallowing down sadness. I don’t even know why I was watching.

“Come on! Hurry up!” Monokuma called.

Narumi walked forward, and held her hand out to Ginko. Ginko took it, and together, they walked to the rest of us.

It was dead silent in the twenty minute walk back to the main camp. Only the crunching of dirt and leaves below our feet. There was an occasional sniff from Ginko, and a cough from a cleared throat, but nobody wanted to say anything.

We gathered outside the chapel.

I looked at everyone. I could honestly stay, despite their faults, I loved everyone there. They were all kind, good people. Friends who talked and listened and played and- It was hard to believe that among us, was a murderer.

The word amicide was meant for this situation, I suppose.

We, again, entered the chapel, facing a class trial where a murderer was hard to pin. I knew something had to come up, but what… I didn’t know.  
I entered confession after Mitsuo, who held his arm out for me to steady myself against as I entered. I thanked him, and then stood silent. Soon, thirteen students of Hope’s Peak Talent Boot Camp stood in the elevator, all suspicious and disbelieving that someone killed Afu.

“Hey,” Mitsuo whispered, “you okay?”

I shrugged, “I’m just thinking…”

“Me too,” he said. I felt his palm flat between my shoulderblades. It was comforting.

 _Distance yourself,_ raced through my head, _it could be anyone._

But my body wouldn’t move from Mitsuo’s comfort. I guess I needed him, not that I would admit it.

But I thought about everyone we’d already lost. There were sixteen of us to begin with… And losing three had already felt like the camp is empty. Cho, Afu, and Joben all had big personalities and brought a lot to camp that I didn’t know needed to be brought. I hid a smile, thinking about our first night in the woods, how we tried to survive by fighting monsters. I think I’d rather die by the those monokumas, than believe that one of my friends could end my life.

Oda pressed the button labeled Trial Floor.

And down, down, down we went.

The elevator doors opened to that same red velvet room. Monokuma lounged in his chair, and Gurekuma cried in the bathtub.

I looked at the pictures on the dearly departeds’ podiums. Joben, Cho, and Afu all had their black and white pictures crossed out with a bloody X. I shook off the thought that tomorrow, another one would be prepared.“I told you all to ignore the motive!” Gurekuma cried, “I didn’t want to wind back up here! I didn’t want to see my precious babies kill one another again! I can’t take it Monokuma!”

“Shut up!” Monokuma roared. Gurekuma went silent, “Places everyone, I wanna get started!”

I looked at Mitsuo, who shot me an encouraging smile. I couldn’t smile back.

I looked around the room, we were all terrified. Terrified of the death before us.

We all faced one another: inhaling another chance at life, and exhaling who was to be sent to death.

It was the time for a deadly class trial.

**Students Remaining: 13**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the bad art, I had class all day so i kinda had to rush it. I'll want to come abck to it and fix it, but ultimately i probably wont lmao  
> ALSO!!! Next weeks update is going to be on SUNDAY! I'm going to be at the convention Anime Los Angeles, and so I won't be home to do the update or the art for the CLASS TRIAL :00
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! I'm honestly really appreciative of every comment and kudos, it warms my heart. Seriously, if you read this, give a comment, lemme shower you in digital love <3 <3 <3


	12. Chapter Two: In Every Box, There is Despair (CLASS TRIAL)

“It hasn’t been _that_ long since the last trial, but how ‘bout another rundown!” Monokuma spoke to us, “Majority vote determines the result. If the majority can figure out ‘whodunnit’, then they will receive their due punishment. But if you can’t, then I’ll punish everyone _besides_ the blackened, and they can walk free. Sound familiar?”

“We get it,” Oda said.

“We’ve already done one trial,” Shun agreed, “I don’t think I’d ever forget.”

“Good to hear! Now get on it!”

“Okay, so… Then we start with just an outline of the crime,” Mitsuo began, “Fusae Ando was killed in the archery range at about 10 in the morning.”

“Should we establish alibis, then?” Ginko said, “Because I was with Sen.”

“That’s a good idea,” Mitsuo nodded, “I was with Ami, doing dishes in the kitchen.”

“That’s Gurekuma’s job!” Monokuma yelled.

“You kids are so sweet!”

“I thought you were with Oda?” Shun asked.

“No, I saw Oda around 9:20. I took a shower in the girl’s locker room because it’s hotter than my cabin shower, and then I went to do dishes with Mitsuo,” Ami nodded, “Oh, and Shun came in! His hands were all pink and scary, like they were covered in blood!”

“But I was just doing a root touch up!” Shun pointed at his pristine hair. It did look nicer.

“Plus,” I said, “Anyone at this campsite twenty minutes before or after the murder is in the clear. The walk there is long. So if you were here at 9:50, there’s no way you could be the murderer.”

“And Shun came in at about 10:15…” Mitsuo held his chin in concentration.

“Dude, you think you could give me a touch up?” Zuzu asked, “My hair’s blacker than coal, and it’s _growin’_ .”

“Yeah man, no worries.”

“This isn’t the important thing to be discussing right now,” Oda said.

“Ah, right-on, right-on,” Zuzu nodded, “I was with my usual squad all morning.”

“Who?” Oda narrowed her eyes, “We just need names as of now.”

“Takumi and Hibiki, of course,” he smiled brightly, and gestured to his two friends.

“I would like to admit that I do not have an alibi,” Narumi said, “I was in the library reading books on psychology. That, too, makes me look suspicious.”

“God, are you just gonna admit fault, Narumi?” Shun scoffed.

“No,” she straightened her blazer, “because I did not do it. I would also like to point out, that both Noboru and Oda do not have alibis either.”

“Hey, I said I was in the spa!”

“With nobody with you?” Narumi raised an eyebrow, “That’s suspicious. A good place to, I don’t know, hide?”

Noboru furrowed his brow, “Are you projecting on me, bitch?”

“You look nervous,” she raised an eyebrow, “Is it time for confession?”

“Stop it!” I shouted, “Both of you! Alibi or not, we have to be nice to each other.”

“Narumi is right, I don’t have an alibi. I can’t remember if I was on the main campground or the side where the murder took place, either.”

“I don’t remember isn’t a good excuse,” Takumi looked at her.

“Well, I’m gonna be honest. We need everyone’s honest accounts, or else we’ll never survive. So Gon, what about you?”

“Haruka and I were together,” Gon pointed, “we read in the library.”

“Ah, yes,” Narumi nodded, “I saw Gon in the medical text section.”

Gon looked at her confused, “I didn’t see you.”

“I didn’t say anything. In retrospect, that was dumb of me.”

“Okay, so we all know kind of where everyone was, or who they were with… So maybe we should talk about the actual murder?” Mitsuo said.

“Afu was killed in the archery range.”

“Yeah,” Ami nodded, “Someone just kinda… Exploded her.”

“They absolutely tore her up,” Shun agreed.

“Shut up!” The volume that came from Ginko sort of interrupted the flow of our think train, “We get it. She was grossly mutilated… She didn’t deserve it!”

“Ginko, we’re gonna need to talk about Afu’s dead body to get through this trial,” Oda said sincerely, “You’re gonna have to handle it.”

“I don’t-”

“Be a big girl. We’re not doing this because we don’t miss her,” Oda wasn’t really nurturing, more harsh, but maybe Ginko needed that, “we’re doing it because we know we need to get to whoever did this to her.”

Ginko paused for a long second, and nodded, “Yeah. You’re right. Afu was murdered, and whomever did it, also destroyed the body, to get rid of the evidence.”

“What do you think the murder weapon was?” Mitsuo said, “The cultivator?”

“No,” I shook my head, “It was **the bloody arrow** , it had to be.”

“Why not the cultivator?” Shun asked, “It’s pointy too!”

“But the arrow is just one clean shot to the heart,” I explained, “They probably used it like a spear or a knife-”

“No!” Gon interrupted, “That’s impossible!”

“What?”

“While I do agree that the arrow was the weapon used to kill Afu, using it like a knife would be rather hard. The arrow would just break. A bow had to be used.”

“How could a bow be used if the bows weren’t strung?” I asked.

“What about Oda?” He pointed out.

“What… about Oda?” I looked at her, “If you don’t remember where you were, and you have the ability to string a bow… Doesn’t that put you at the top of the suspect list?”

“I guess it does,” Oda shrugged it off coolly, “But it doesn’t automatically mean I did it.”

“But it does make you number one suspect!” Ginko said, “Oda… Start talkin’!”

“Fine,” Oda said, “I want you all to think about the crime scene. The actual range is just a grass patch, with a fence in the corner, and wood chips by the targets. If Afu were to walk in, and see someone holding an arrow facing her, she could easily, _easily_ jump back behind the fence from which she came. There was nowhere to hide, except one place.”

Oda must have seen my face light up, because she said, “Sen understands.”

I nodded, “The only place to hide is behind the opening door.”

“And hiding behind an opening door with a drawn bow and arrow, while it’s not impossible, is very unlikely. You’d have to compress yourself as flat as possible, and you can't do that while holding a drawn longbow.”

“But you said it yourself, it’s not impossible!” Zuzu pointed.

“Okay, well, let's look next at the murder weapon,” Oda said, “Its an arrow. Bloody only to about six inches in… If I were to fire an arrow, close range, into Afu’s thin, small body, it would easy pierce through, dirtying nearly a foot of the arrow. But in actuality, the killer probably held the arrow somewhere toward the front, jammed it in Afu’s back, killing her.”

“That- That doesn’t mean it’s not you!” Noboru argued.

“It doesn’t,” she shrugged, “but it also doesn’t mean that I’m the only suspect.”

“But wait, what about the hammer and the cultivator?” Ami asked.

“Yeah, maybe instead, Afu was knocked out with the mallet, and then she was stabbed, and then she was mutilated?” Takumi explained.

“Or mutilated, then stabbed?” Hibiki shuttered at the idea of being torn up.

“No, that’s wrong,” I said, “Think about the **Monokuma file** .”

Everyone was silent.

I explained, “The monokuma file said ‘ _The victim’s heart was punctured directly, killing her almost instantly. No pre-mortem injuries or substances, such as poisons, have been detected.’_ That means that everything that was done to the body was done after she was killed.”

“But… why?” Ginko asked, “Isn’t it enough that they just kill her?”

“The killer is hiding something,” Mitsuo said, “Think about it. Afu was… hard to look at, to say the least. If we were able to investigate the body, maybe it would point to who did it! So they… destroyed the evidence.”

We all fell silent.

“I… I have a question,” Hibiki declared, “Afu was obviously baited, right?”

“Yeah!” Ginko said, “What about that! The killer obviously had to get her to meet up with them without making a big deal that they were hanging out.”

“That’s another reason why it’s not me,” Oda declared, “Afu and I had hung out before. Why would I need a note to say ‘Hey Afu, Noboru cheats at arm wrestling’? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Actually,” I pulled my own note out of my pocket, “I wanna talk about the **notes** .”

“Which one is that one?” Noboru asked, “The one you guys found in the spa, the trash, or the one that was in the locker?”

“Actually, it’s a **note that was slid under my door** .”

“A fourth note?” Ginko’s brows knit together, “Sen, were you next?”

“I don’t think so. I think… I really think they wanted someone to find Afu’s body, but I… I took a nap.”

“So she was dead for awhile,” Ginko said, bowing her head, “Why didn’t the killer give me the note? We were besties?”

“I think in sending me, they knew I’d bring Mitsuo, at the most,” I said, “If you were contacted, wouldn’t the first person you go looking to tell about the note be-”

“Afu…” she frowned, “The killer didn’t want me to worry?”

“Maybe.”

“But the killer wasn’t even the one who wrote the notes! Remember the note from the locker?” Shun asked, “It said ‘Nevermind. I couldn’t make it. I’ll tell you later’.”

“That’s what I was wondering, Mitsuo, Haruka, do you have the other two notes?”

They both nodded, and pulled them out.

“The three of ours are in big, capitalized, blocky text. It’s almost like they went out of their way to change their handwriting. But **the note from the locker** was written impromptu, maybe to throw us off,” I said.

“What are you trying to say?” Oda asked.

“I’m… I’m not sure,” I shook my head, “Not yet.”

“Let us know if you figure something out,” Mitsuo shot me a proud smile, as if he were rooting for me to solve the mystery, “But for now… We know the killer speared the victim with the arrow, and then mutilated the body. They sent the victim to the spa to meet them, but then sent them to the archery range instead- Why?”

“Because I was there,” Noboru said, “They didn’t want a witness to their crime.”

“So the killer was a boy!” Ami said.

“Why?” Shun asked.

“Because the only way Noboru would witness a crime would be if the killer was a boy,” Ami said.

“Oh right, because of the **spa rules** ,” I said.

“Hey Monokuma,” Mitsuo asked, “What’s the rule on bringing differing gendered corpses into the spa areas?”

“There isn’t a rule!” he shrugged, “A corpse is a corpse!”

“So… The plan might have been for the killer to kill Afu outside the spa, and drag their body in?”

“But I foiled it,” Noboru said.

“That’s what I feared,” Narumi took a deep breath in.

“Me too,” I said, considering **Haruka’s account.**

I shot her a wink, and she lit up, “Right!”

“What?” Narumi asked.

“I saw Noboru enter his cabin at 10:30! So there was no way he could’ve been in the spa.”

Noboru’s face twisted, “What?”

“I saw you enter your cabin!” She pointed at him.

“You saw him enter his cabin, Haruka?” Narumi raised an eyebrow, “Something doesn’t add up.”

“W-Wha?”

“I thought you and Gon were reading together in the library,” she asked, calmly.

“W-We were! During the time of the murder.”

“Because the time I saw Gon looking at the osteopathic books was about 10:15.”

“I- I was there!”

“Are you… Are you covering for Gon?” Ginko asked.

“No!” Haruka looked around, her face flushing of color.

“Haruka… You’ve gotta tell the truth, were you with Gon at the time of the murder?”

“I wa-”

“She wasn’t,” Gon butted in, “I asked her if she would like to read with me in the library, but she had a bit of a headache, so she was going to visit nurse Gurekuma, or take a nap. So I went to the library by myself.”

“Why did you feel the need to lie, Gon?” Noboru asked.

“Because… I’d look suspicious.”

“You look more suspicious now, doc,” Ginko’s eyes narrowed.

“That… That makes sense,” Mitsuo’s voice shook, “Because… Of what we found in the spa.”

“ **The white fabric** ?” I asked.

“It had been forced to the bottom of the spa,” Mitsuo explained, “And the only way for it to not float was if someone pushed it all the way down to be sucked by the filter.”

“Gon… Tell me you have an explanation,” I looked him dead in the eye.

“I don’t,” he confessed, “because… Because I murdered Fusae Ando.”

Ginko lunged from her podium, “You sick son of a bitch!”

Shun jumped to hold her back, and she fought it. She was screaming, tears streaming down her face and she tried to wiggle from his hold, “ _Why? Why did you do it?_ ”

“I did it… because I saw weakness in Afu, a weakness that I could manipulate for my gain.”

“Why did you do that to her body?” Ginko screamed.

“With her dying move, she carved my name into her stomach with the arrow,” Gon was stone faced, “She thought I wouldn’t be able to destroy that evidence.”

“How did you even-”

“So I took the cultivator and the hammer and went to work. I hammered the cultivator into her body, and tugged it down, tearing her apart. Once the evidence was destroyed… I put the weapons in the locker, forced it closed, threw the hammer and the cloth into the spas… I… I killed Afu.”

I looked at him. He was blank, expressionless, remorseless. He seemed to not even care that he did that to Afu. I looked at Monokuma and said, “So is that it?”

“Huh?” Monokuma snapped awake. He was napping.

“Wait,” Oda said, “Something doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t?” Gon raised an eyebrow, “I killed her. I killed Afu.”

“Why though?” Oda asked, “You’re not the type of guy to care about presents and mystery. So what was your motive.”

“Haruka,” this was the first time in a few minutes that we’d seen him break. A tear ran down his cheek, “I did it because of the motive of being able to take someone out of here. I was going to take Haruka with me.”

“What?” I barked, “You were going to- We already saw last time that that _doesn’t_ work! Cho wanted to take me and look where that got-”

“You?” Ami asked, “Cho wanted to take me! That’s what you said.”

“Th-That’s what I meant,” I stammered.

“Wait, did you lie to me?” Ami’s eyes dulled, “I thought… Did Cho not even like me?”

“Cho was crazy about you,” Noboru butted in, “but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is Gon! He murdered Afu.”

“No he didn’t,” Oda said, “Just think about it. This doesn’t make any sense. Gon had to be smart enough to realize that motives only apply to the trial before it. The plus-one motive came and went with Cho. Our motive was the present. It doesn’t add up that you couldn’t figure that out.”

“I- Is that true?” Haruka asked.

Monokuma laughed, “Yeah! What a dipshit! The motives expire after the trials are conducted! They don’t stack!”

“They- They don’t?”

Monokuma settled in his throne, “No? What do you think this is? Monopoly?”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Hibiki said.

“Then it-” Haruka began, but Gon swiftly interrupted her, “Haruka, just let me go.”

“No!” her brow furrowed heavily, “It was me! I killed Afu.”

A smile trickled on Oda’s lips, as she said, “There it is.”

Ginko lost all expression. She drained.

“I wrote the letters. I snuck Afu around. I- I killed her,” Haruka admitted, “I didn’t care about the present. I just… I thought I could take Gon with me. Out of this place, out of this game. I didn’t think he would-”

“Mess up the crime scene,” I finished her sentence, “Gon, you… You were the one that mutilated Afu. Haruka killed her and you-”

“I killed her!” Gon argued, “Haruka couldn’t kill her! Look at her! Haruka barely won at arm wrestling against her!”

“When I won I figured out that she was the only person in this entire camp that I could kill! I tried to take her to the spa, but Noboru was bathing next door, so I took her to the archery range, and I killed her.”

“The three notes were from you,” I said, “the fourth one was from Gon. That’s why the texts didn’t match.”

“I stabbed her and-”

“No you didn’t Haruka!” Gon barked, “Do you want our friends to die?”

“Gon stop!” There were tears in her eyes, “I killed her.”

“She didn’t.”

“It doesn’t make any sense that Haruka would do it,” Hibiki agreed, “She’s too nice to everyone.”

“It doesn’t make sense that Gon did it either, considering I saw him in the library,” Narumi argued.

We were all shouting over one another. We seemed divided.

Monokuma was laughing over the calamity, and then made an announcement, “Its seems we have a split decision! So team Gon-dunnit, is going to present their case, and team Haruka-dunnit, is going to make a rebuttal, how’s that sound?”

“Okay,” Zuzu nodded, “Then I’m starting. There’s no way Haruka could’ve done it because of how soft she is!”

“The only person that was softer than she was was Afu!” Oda argued.

“But Haruka also saw Noboru enter his cabin,” Ami pointed out.

“She claimed so, because she wanted to make me seem guilty!” Noboru argued.

Shun shouted, “But Gon had to have done it, he knew exactly how the body was torn apart!”

“That’s because he _did_ tear apart the body,” Mitsuo argued.

“But Gon was on the library side the whole time,” Takumi added.

“Yes, but a little after the time of the murder, I saw him reading books,” Narumi argued.

Hibiki looked lost, “But… Why would Gon frame himself if he knows he’s just going to die?”

“To protect Haruka,” I said, “because he loves her.”

“But- But I did it! I killed Afu,” Gon yelled.

“Gon, you need to give it up,” I said.

“Shut up!” He spat, “ _I’m_ the guilty party. I’m the one who killed her.”

“I know you didn’t, and you do too,” I folded my arms.

“All the evidence points to me!”

“All but one.”

“What?” He stopped.

And all I could think of was the **scrap of white fabric** , but I wasn’t sure how to articulate it. All I said was, “Haruka, I see your lab coat is cuffed, could you roll down your sleeves?”

She looked at me with grateful eyes and nodded, rolling down her sleeve. One of her white lab coat sleeves was longer than the other.

“But I… I did it,” Gon whispered, defeated.

“You didn’t Gon! And you know it!” Haruka begged, “Please… I know you want to protect me… But, I want to protect you. If I can’t take you with me, then I want _you_ to survive this.”

“I can’t- I can’t- Haruka, I can’t do this without you,” Gon hung his head, “Please.”

“That’s gotta be enough,” Haruka gestured to Gon, “for you guys to vote for me.”

“I’m- I’m still not sure,” tears rolled down Ginko’s cheeks, “I want to be sure. Sen… Wrap it up for me.”

I nodded, piecing the murder together in my head.

“This morning, at breakfast, everyone decided to have an impromptu arm wrestling championship. Afu wanted to be the champion, despite her small stature, but she- Well, she wasn’t strong enough. And that’s when the idea popped into the killer’s head. There’s one person at camp that’s weaker than she is, and if she can take her down, she can get her and Gon out of here. So she tempts to her the spa, where she thinks that she can peacefully commit the murder, but Noboru was busy bathing there. So she redirects her to the archery range with a little note on the floor. Afu follows the note and that’s when the killer strikes. The killer stabbed her with the arrow, straight through the back. She gets blood on the cuff of her lab coat, cuts it off, and I’m assuming, leaves everything there. The water heard in the girls spa room by Noboru, is the killer washing her hands. In walks Gon, who, upon seeing the crime scene, immediately knows the killer’s identity, so he goes to work. He gets the mallet from the craft room and the cultivator from the equipment room, and mutilates her body, just to throw us off her scent. After all, the killer’s sweet demeanor would never point to mutilation. This messed up our investigation. He then put the cultivator and the murder weapon in the locker, and smashed it closed. Needing to get rid of the rest of the evidence, he crumbles up the first note Afu receives, like its a piece of garbage, and throws it in the trash. The piece of lab coat is easily stuffed into the spa filter, but luckily, Mitsuo had an eye for it. The note on the ground in the spa was unable to be picked up by Gon, so he placed the bloody hammer near it, and pushed it into the note, sliding it across the floor to look like it was placed there. Gon hid all the evidence because he knew that the killer was mistaken about the motives, but if he could get everyone to vote for him, then she would go free. The killer did for the love of someone who she could not bear to let die by the hands of this killing game, isn’t that right, Haruka?”

Haruka smiled at me, wiping her eyes, “You’re brilliant Sen, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Haruka… Please,” Gon looked at her like she was the world, and it was the rapture.

“You know,” Ginko croaked, “Afu liked you. She said you were spacy, but intelligent, and a devoted girl. She knew you were probably teased or made fun of, but it didn’t change your goodness as a person… I think… I think she’d be disappointed to find out that you killed her for such a selfish reason.”

“I think so too,” Haruka bit her lip, “Afu was a good person.”

“ _Then why did you kill her?_ ” Ginko clutched the podium and wailed, “If she was so good, if she was worthy of that compliment, why would you take her life?”

Haruka put her head down, ashamed.

“Okay, that’s enough of that…” Monokuma shuffled awkwardly, “Let’s get to voting!”

My finger pressed down on Haruka’s picture. She had the same chest length hair as the black book. She was smiling beautifully, as if her future were as bright as her teeth. Who knew she would be forced to kill.

“I’m not voting,” Gon clutched his podium, “I’m not voting if it means damning you, Haru.”

“Gon, please,” Haruka’s eyes were pleading.

“I can’t,” he sobbed, “I-”

“Like hell you can’t,” Ginko hopped out of her podium and said, “You don’t get to die. If you can’t live without her,” she pointed to Haruka, “then I’m gonna make sure your life is nice and long! You’re voting, you son of a bitch, and you’re voting now!”

“No!” Gon’s hands turned to white knuckles. Ginko held his wrist, forcing his hand to touch Haruka’s picture.

“No, no!” Gon pushed Ginko off of him, and she stumbled a step back, “Please, Monokuma, take me instead!”

“Time’s up!” Monokuma hummed, “Let’s see if you were correct!”

Monokuma pushed a big, red button in front of him, and pointed at the screen. Broadcasted up on the screen were twelve votes for Haruka Inoue, one vote for Gon Uramoto.

The same loading wheel brought us to Haruka’s school photo, with the glittery word GUILTY over her eyes.

“Ooh, ooh, you live another day!” Monokuma celebrated.

“Not Haruka!” Gurekuma cried.

“No, not Haruka. Haruka gets her comeuppance!”

Gon ejected himself from his podium and clung onto the side of Monokuma’s throne, he begged, “Take me, take me. Let her live, just take me!”

“Hmmm, promising, but I like to see you despair,” Monokuma laughed, “Plus, you didn't murder. Only murderers get killed. Maybe next time sport.”

“No! No, listen to me bear! You can torture me, boil me alive, serve me to the monsters in the woods, just not her! She didn’t know! Please,” he clasped his hands in front of Monokuma, “What do I have to do?”

“Murder someone!” Monokuma shrugged.

We all looked at Gon, knowing, that he was going to be the next person to do someone in. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

“Gon,” Haruka walked up to him, taking off her lab coat. Her dress underneath was a form fitting, striped dress that nobody ever thought they’d see. She said in a loving voice, pressing her hand on his cheek, “Gon, I need you to listen to me.”

He was sobbing.

“I know I messed up. I should’ve talked to you. I shouldn’t have done this. But I need you to promise me something…”

“Anything,” he whispered.

She looked him dead in the eye, “Don’t repeat my mistakes. Love everyone here, okay? You have to. Don’t hurt a soul.”

“I- I can’t do this without you.”

“Yes, you can and you will, okay?”

“Haruka-”

“I love you. And… Maybe, because in our past lives we were in love, we’ll meet again in the next life.”

“Haruka, please-”

She kissed him, and waved at everyone, “I’m truly sorry.”

She held her hand out to Monokuma. Monokuma looked at her as if she were lunch, and announced, “Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for our Super High School Level Dentist!”

“Haruka, I need you!” Gon clutched her hand.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got!

“ _It’s punishment time!_ ” Monokuma laughed, slamming his paw down on a button inside his chair.

The screen flashed with Haruka’s picture. Gon hung onto her leg.

Haruka looked down at him, “And Sen would’ve married us.”

He clung to her desperately, but that same claw still came down and took Haruka by the neck.

Gon tried to hold on as she was lifted out of the room, but he wasn’t strong enough, and she slipped away.

He collapsed to his knees, screaming her name as she was taken, “Haruka!”

And I stood watching for the light to flip on: _ON AIR._

The screen went to static, then displayed a message in bold text: _Laughing Gas Meltdown!_

Two Monokumas, one dressed like a dentist, and the other a nurse, took Haruka to a chair that sat in the middle of a large bear trap. They sit her down and strap her in with a thick brown belt.  
Haruka steadily watched the metal trap below, afraid that if she sat, it would trigger it, but it did not.

The two bears strapped her in nice and tight, squeezing her body rather roughly. She exhaled with the tightness of the band.

The dentist Monokuma placed a breathing respirator over her nose, and turned a valve on a tank that was labeled _giggle gas_ .

It only took moments for Haruka to begin laughing. As she laughed, the chair rocked. Monokuma turned the valve to release more, and Haruka was barking laughter, rocking her chair. We were able to see her face growing pinker and pinker with the excessive force of her laughter breaking capillaries in her cheeks. Her laughter turned to harsh coughing as pain lit up in her eyes, but a beautiful smile still remained on her face. Her body wiggled in the chair, and she rocked harshly, triggering the spring on the bear trap, and closing it right on Haruka’s head.

I screamed: I had never seen anything so gruesome.

The TV turned off.

Gon was on the floor, holding her coat next to his face and whispering, “It should’ve been me.” He said it over and over.

I knelt by him, and said, “Hey buddy, are you okay?”

He only looked up at the picture of his once loved, then put his head back down.

“Why are you being nice to him?” Oda looked at me with disgust, “He _mutilated_ Afu’s body so we’d all get killed.”

“I know,” I said, “but I also know how he feels.”

I helped him up, “Mitsuo, can you lend me a hand?”

“Uh, Sen… I don’t-” Mitsuo looked at me with a face of regret.

“He doesn’t want to help out a sick fuck up like Gon,” Shun shook his head, clapping his hand to Mitsuo’s shoulder.

I looked at Mitsuo with pleading eyes. He turned away from me and walked out.

It was just Gon and I when we all walked back to the rooms. Gon looked completely torn up. I walked him to his room and said, “Haruka loved you, and she wants you to keep fighting, okay?”

He was silent. He just sat down on his bed, looking empty.

I locked his door for him, and went to my room alone.

All I could think about was Mitsuo’s look.

I fell asleep, feeling more alone than ever.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Gurekuma offers Monokuma a class of water. Monokuma smacks it out of her hand, shattering the glass.

“I’m feeling much better! All I needed was a good night’s sleep! Everyone needs a good night’s sleep to feel normal and satisfied, don’t you think?”

**Students Remaining: 12**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super sorry for the late update! I got super sick from my convention this weekend!  
> Also, these next couple chapters, shits gonna start gettin' real!!! Isn't that weird?  
> Thanks so much for reading, as always, I love all of your comments, so please, please leave some!  
> Have a wonderful day!!!! <3 <3 <3  
> (and, as always, please suggest some FTE folk!!!)
> 
>  
> 
> (ALSO SORRY LMAo


	13. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (PART I)

_“Do you ever think about what you’re gonna do after you get out of here?” I looked down. Cho’s head was in my lap. She rotated to look up at me, “Like… being a stewardess isn’t… It’s not who I am. I have to bank my entire personality on this one thing I did. What if I want to be a pilot, or a sailor, or an astronaut? Everyone’s gonna look at me as the stewardess.”_

_“I dunno,” I shrugged, “I think people would want to give a scholarship to the girl who saved the lives of hundreds… I think you can do whatever you want.”_

_“What do you want to do?”_

_“I wanna keep doing what I’m doing,” I smiled, “I like being a solemnizer. I love being reminded love exists and it’s happy and benevolent._

_She sat up and shoved me, “You’re so sappy.”_

_“Oh, uh-huh, sure Miss-If-Ami-Looks-At-Me-I’ll-Start-Crying!”_

_“Shut up,” she shoved me._

_“If you shove me again, I’m gonna tickle you.”_

_She was already giggling. She have me a light push._

_My fingers went straight to her armpits. She shrieked in laughter._

 

My eyes opened to the familiar ceiling that wasn’t mine. The morning announcement played a few minutes after I changed. I sighed.

Joben was gone. Cho was gone. Afu was gone. Haruka was gone. They all went out in horrible ways. This game, it brought out the worst in everyone. None of these people would be victims or killers in their regular lives, so why did they have to be now?

I left my room, and headed to the dining hall. Not everyone was in there, but when I came in, they all seemed to stare.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Shun went back to his hot cereal.

“Okay?” I walked past them. Narumi was petting Ginko’s back. Ginko wasn’t crying, but her face was sullen, slack, tired.

I got myself some rice from the steamer, and sat across from Narumi. The three of them looked at me as if I’d done something to offend them.

“What?” I asked again.

“Why don’t you go hang out with Gon?” Shun asked.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“I just,” he leaned in while he whispered, “I think it’s a little awkward you’re here.”

I stood, and grumbled, “I’m not hungry anyway.” I went to the kitchen and took a banana and left.

Nobody said another word to me.

I knocked on Gon’s door.

“Gon, it’s Sen. Open up.”

Another minute of me smacking the door led to him voicelessly answering it.

I sat next to him on his bed and asked, “Have you eaten?”

He just stared forward.

“Do you want this banana?”

No reply. He just stared at the wall.

“I- I don’t know how to fix this. I’m not good at… emotions. I’m good at happy, and maybe tired, and that’s about it. So I’m just going to do what I learned to do when I was a kid, and just deal you the facts, how’s that sound.”

He didn’t move.

“Okay, I’m gonna say it. Haruka murdered Fusae. She murdered her selfishly. I’m not telling you to not love her. I’m not telling you that should change anything about how you feel about her, but she did it. She wanted to sacrifice eleven people for the two of you to escape, based on the feeling of love at first sight-”

“We were _together_.”

“But did she know that when she killed Afu? Or was it just a hunch?” I raised my eyebrows, “Haruka committed a murder-”

“Stop saying that!” Gon stood.

“Haruka killed Afu based on love for you, and you’re shitting on her memory!” I shouted in his face. I knew it was harsh, but I wasn’t sure what else to say, “Her final wish to you was to love and be loved! And you’re cutting yourself off from not only all the campers, but _me_ the only person who wants to make sure you’re okay!” I knew was terrible at comforting him, but my harsh words just kept pouring out, “I lost Cho! She was the only person around here I felt like I had a definitive past with. I have dreams about her that are so real and palpable that they feel like memories. And she murdered Joben, and got herself killed. But do you know what else I remembered? She told me to survive.”

I picked up the banana from his bed, “Don’t check out on me Gon. We’re all in this game. And I _need_ you, because you need me. So,” I grabbed his hand, and slapped the banana into his palm, “Are you gonna keep letting Haruka down? Or are you gonna eat this fucking banana?”

Me shouting at him was more of a rant on my part.

Gon was all I had, and I hardly knew the guy.

Gon stood, and pointed at the door, “Get out.”

“Are you kidding me Gon?”

“ _Now._ ”

I walked out, and he slammed the door behind me. Everything felt wrong. I shouldn’t have poorly played therapist, but… Well, he didn’t have to be rude. I stood on his porch for a minute, and I heard a door open.

I looked down the row of cabins, and Mitsuo was leaving his. I called after him, “Mitsuo!”

He looked at me, waved absently, and kept walking.

“Oh, come on!” I shouted.

He didn’t turn around.

I knew everyone was mad at Gon, I was too, but to exile me socially, because of that? I hadn’t ever felt so alone.

A wave of sadness came over me. Nothing was comforting. Nothing felt good. I just sat on the bench between the cabins, and stared forward.

“H-Hey, Sen?” A voice came from behind me.

I turned around.

It was Hibiki, holding two colas from the kitchen. He looked down at them and shrugged, “I know it’s kinda early for soda- Well, I drink it for breakfast, but- I brought you one.” He held it out to me, “Are you okay?”

I looked at him, accepting the soda. Right before I opened it, I squinted, “Did you shake this?”

“No!” His eyebrows pinned, “I just- You looked sad, and lonely.”

I scoffed, “I know what Gon did. I was there. I- Just- I know I isolating him will lead to worse consequences than offering friendship… And I think I fucked it up.”

“What did you do?” Hibiki asked, sitting beside me.

“I,” I took a sharp inhale, “I told him that Haruka would hate that he wasn’t taking care of himself. And… I- I was a jerk about it.”

Hibiki took a sharp inhale, and let out a deep breath, “I don’t know… You’re not alone in thinking that everyone needs friends. Gon did it… He did it out of love, out of passion… And I think… Well, I think that Ginko would’ve done the same for Afu… Cho would’ve done the same for Ami... And M-,” he bit his lip, “I don't know. People do stupid stuff when they love someone.”

I smiled at him, and said, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking. I didn’t think that everyone would… I mean, Ginko, yeah, but Mitsuo too? I thought-”

“He liked you?” Hibiki took a long sip, “He definitely does- I don’t know what’s going through his mind, obviously… But you mean a great deal to him.”

I could feel my face heat up. I held my drink just a bit tighter.

There was laughter behind us, accompanied by music. Zuzu and Takumi were walking, Takumi holding an extension cord, and Zuzu slinging a boombox over his shoulder. I looked at Hibiki, who swallowed visibly.

“Are you afraid of being forgotten, Sen?”

“What?”

“Do you ever think about how… Something in our heads was messed with. Something to do with out memories. There are people, people who probably meant a great deal to us, and they’re just… They’re gone. Hell, with the way this is going, they could be dead. And there would be no way we would know.”

I hadn’t thought about that.

But him introducing said fear paralyzed me.

“And… We could be that to someone else, we could’ve meant a great deal to someone, and now they don’t remember us.”

“Whoa… Where’s this all coming from?”

“Well, Haruka and Gon were in love, and it completely was gone from them-”

“Not completely. There were feelings still there… It was like their DNA couldn’t forget.”

“So, are you saying primal feelings are, uh, unforgettable?”

“I would think it's like instinct. Like, apparently cats know to bury their poop from birth, or at least, my friend told me that. So when they see sand, they want to poop in it, because it's easy to bury in sand- So like, when Haruka saw Gon-”

“She wanted to poop on him,” Hibiki laughed.

“Exactly,” I joked back, but the joy of it all was missing. I whispered, “I feel things… About a lot of people here. I see them, and I want to give them presents, because I feel like they’d like them. I want to talk to them about things, because- Because we’ve definitely had those kinds of conversations before. I look at everyone here, and I… I miss things I don’t even remember.”

“Me too Sen,” he sighed, “I was going to ask you… Do you want to go look at the book? Oda put it in the library.”

I looked at Hibiki’s innocent eyes and kind face, and the worst part of him being so friendly to me was my lack of trust for him.

But what was the worst that could happen? I’d die?

I nodded, and we trekked off into the woods.

On our walk, we talked about Hibiki’s podcasts, and weddings I’d done. I recalled marrying two ultimate alumni to one another: a carpenter and a tap dancer. Hibiki recalled the first time he heard that someone he had advised became a student of Hope’s Peak. She was an opera singer, who was afraid of the spotlight. He talked her problems out with her, and a few months later, she sent him an email with a acceptance letter.

Because of her, his popularity shot through the roof.

It was nice to talk about things we recalled, instead of things we couldn’t remember.

We arrived at the library, to find Gurekuma out of her nurse’s dress, and instead in a professional looking blazer and a pair of rectangular glasses.

“Can I help you kids find something?” she asked us.

“Why are you dressed like that?” Hibiki smirked.

“...Big brother is very adamant about me dressing for my jobs,” she sighed.

“Why not just dress like a camp counselor?” I suggested, “Because they do all the jobs your doing, minus all the quick-changes.”

She paused for a moment, then suddenly grabbed both of my hands, “You are a brilliant young woman! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!”

Hibiki laughed. I tried to remove myself.

“What do you need, anything, I’ll find it for you!” she pleaded.

“We just wanted the motive book from yesterday,” Hibiki asked, “I didn’t get to look at it at all.”

“That horrible thing!” She seemed to frown, despite having a preset face, “What’s with everyone looking at that thing? Did you know the doctor walked over here at two in the morning just to stare at it? He risked a walk through the woods!” She put her hand to her cheek, “And that other boy… It made him cry.”

“What other boy?”

She gasped, “I’m sorry! I can’t say! He asked me not to!”

I furrowed my brow at her, and she placed her paw on her cheek, “He may have a tough facade, but really, he’s a big softy. I don’t know why he doesn’t want people to know… I think girls find that quality very cute.”

“Can we see the book?” I snapped her derailed train of thought.

“Oh!” she nodded, and went off to find it.

Hibiki and I were alone with secret that someone checked on the book that morning, and it moved him to tears.

We found an acceptable sitting place in the library, next to one another with the book opened between us.

And we read. We read the articles and we stared at the pictures, looking for inconsistencies in lighting or size, something that could point to it being fake.

There were none.

In fact, one made Hibiki shake his head and say, “There’s no way this is fake.”

It was a picture of him, the graduated Super High School Level opera singer, Super High School Level architect, and Super High School Level potter. They smiled happily next to them, Hibiki donned in a sweater that had a pattern knit into it.

“Why not?”

“Because my mother knit me that sweater when I got accepted into Hope’s Peak. She worked on it until her fingers bled… It’s one of a kind,” he let out a melancholic laugh.

“Maybe they stole it… They did kidnap us after all.”

“I don’t… I don’t know. But Sen,” he looked me in the eye with his sad brown ones, “What if we did go to Hope’s Peak. What if we were there, and befriended one another and worked well together, and we just… forgot? Something happened and that memory was forced out of our heads.”

“That doesn’t make any sense-”

“Neither does this whole thing!” he laughed, exasperated, “We’re forced into a camp where we have to kill each other for any hopes of escape and… And its run by a robot bear with presumably hundreds of copies of himself! Nothing makes sense. This… This is our best idea of something happening.”

“So… Why would someone do this to us?” I sat up a little bit straighter, “Let’s say we’re second years, or rather, should be second years, what did we do to warrant something like this?”

“Maybe we forgot,” Hibiki frowned, “Or… Maybe we don’t deserve it. Maybe there’s just someone who’s sick, and wants us to suffer.”

“I don’t-”

“We’re _suffering_ , Sen,” he pointed to himself in the picture, “Is that the same guy you’re looking at right now? That guy looks happy, ready to wake up in the morning… Excited for the future. This guy looks-”

“Scared.”

“Terrified.”

I flipped the page, and was immediately chilled from looking at a photograph of myself. My face was rounder and perked into a joyous smile. I looked younger, happier, and certain of my future. In front of me were two mannequins, one in a tuxedo and one in a wedding gown.

Hibiki looked at me and said, “She couldn’t have done anything to deserve torture like this.”

“I hope not.”

“But watching her… be tortured like this… Now that’s devastating, that's something that could make anyone crumple to their knees.”

“Are you saying we’re… ransom?”

“Or propaganda.”

I swallowed. Being forced to watch kids labeled as “the future of the world” emotionally and physically destroy one another would strike enough fear into joining anyone’s side, or following anyone's wishes. It was possible that we were a technique to reach the means of power.

“Exactly,” he whispered, “we’re being watched… Not just by the bear, or the guy controlling the bear, but… The rest of the world.”

I swallowed, hard.

“Wh- What makes you think so?”

“Why else would the bear have cameras, cameras that he doesn’t want us to destroy?” He whispered harsher, “People want to watch us suffer… This is like a reality show for him! Don’t you see, Sen? This is a gladiator colosseum. The only way to end it is to _win_.”

Fear entered my heart. _Is Hibiki about to murder me?_ I swore at myself for even letting the thought go through my head.

“And that’s why people like you and I are screwed,” he leaned back, “I know that you’re too nice… And you should know… That… I’m too scared. We both can’t do that, so we’re automatically victims to this game.”

“You mean… All we can do is die?”

He nodded at me. He looked sure, not hopeless, but ready

“We’re… We’re gonna… We can’t!” I barked, “I’m not letting any of us die here!”

“Sen, you’ve gotta just come to terms with it,” Hibiki looked like it was the only way to cope, “That way, when it comes… We can’t be surprised.”

“I’m not just going to let us be victims! Hibiki, we’re powerful people-”

“We’re not strong enough to take someone like Shun or Noboru down-”

“I mean in heart!” I shouted, “We’re strong in heart. If we admit that we’re going to be victims, then we’re going to be victims… But if we say we’re gonna stay strong and put an end to this horrible game, then… Then that’s what we’re gonna do!”

“Sen,” he lifted the book, “we would- We probably did excell _here_ , in academics. But in survival-”

“I can’t listen to this,” I shook my head, “I’m sorry, Hibiki.” My legs stood and began to walk without me even thinking of leaving.

“It’s a hard truth, Sen,” Hibiki called after me, “but it’s better to accept it, than feel betrayed and surprised when it happens.”

Walking back alone through the woods wasn’t ideal with the state of mind that Hibiki put me in. He could’ve snuck up on me at any moment, just to prove he wasn’t a victim. Someone else could’ve been coming down the trail alone, killed me, and thrown my into the woods for those monomonsters to eat.

I looked behind me, and my feet picked up speed. I didn’t even know that I had started to run. Panic overcame me, and my legs carried me as fast as they possibly could.

Until, I crashed.

At the mouth of the trail was Ami, who I physically bumped into. She fell to the ground, as did I. She looked at me with a worried look on her face and asked, “Whoa, are you okay?”

I stood, and helped her up. I didn’t know how to answer her question, so instead I asked, “Where are you off to?”

“The spa,” she sighed, “I’m not feeling great. I was hoping to soak… You look like you’re running from someone.”

“I wasn’t,” I laughed, “I just got a little spooked walking through the woods by myself.”

She nodded, “Yeah, I don’t like doing it either… Hey,” she paused and looked at me with happy eyes, “Do you want to come with me? I know you just hiked all the way back, but… I haven’t gotten to spend any time with you.”

I looked around. I was still paranoid. I wondered if Hibiki considered Ami a victim or a murderer. I couldn’t let that one statement dictate the rest of my time at camp. I shivered off the idea and nodded, “Yeah, time in the spa would be nice.”

So, together we walked.

Ami crossed her arms, and she looked at me, “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you…”

I knew what question was coming up. I braced myself for Ami to catch my lie.

“Do you… have dreams about her?”

“Wha-?”

“Do you have dreams about Cho?” She frowned, “I’ve been having dreams about her that feel so realistic… Like I can touch her… Like she’s _right there_ … Not just her too, I have dreams about Shun and Narumi and Takumi. The dreams are so _real_.”

“I do. I had a dream about her last night,” I added, “She talked about you.”

“Really?” she smiled sadly, “She talks about you in my dreams too.”

“She really liked you,” I added, “I think she had a crush.”

“Come on now,” Ami laughed, “You don’t have to go telling her secrets.”

“I mean,” I laughed, sort of, “It was obvious, wasn’t it? You guys sorta had a thing… You did kiss her after all.”

“Of course we did,” Ami tucked a piece of her bang behind her ear, “I just doubt she wanted me to know until she could tell me herself.”

“True,” I coughed. It was too bad that Cho couldn’t have some sort of grand confession of love like Haruka and Gon were allotted. I bet it would be magnificent.

“Nonetheless,” Ami smiled, as if she were reminiscing, “it would always be requited.”

We arrived at the spa. Being alone in a public bath with Ami, who undressed confidently before me, was a bit strange. The water was filled up high, and so hot that it was steaming. Immediately, she seemed to destress.

“Aren’t you going to come in?”

“I- I-” I stammered, hoping my face wasn’t as pink as it felt, “I‘m not sure that I want to get my hair wet.”

“Tie it up in a bun,” she said, shrugging off my worries. She sunk further into the spa like a Japanese Macaque. She looked at me with smiling eyes, and a bubble of laughter rose from the water.

I caved.

I was being honest when I said I didn’t want my hair to be wet. I tied it up in a sat little bun. Ami took one look at me, and cracked up.

“What _is_ that?” she laughed.

“A bun,” I tried to defend it, but as I did, it fell apart, unraveling into my face.

“Listen, darlin’. I’m definitely not the most girly girl under the sun,” she smirked, “but even I know how to put my hair in a bun.”

“Listen,” I tried not to laugh, “You see the ponytail I wear my hair in every day? That’s the extent of which I know how to wear this.”

“Oh honey.”

“Shut up!” I defended myself to the best of my ability. Ami was easy to be around. She was hospitable, fitting her talent. She made sure that I was comfortable, even when it wasn’t obvious. I was so comfortable arguing with her, that I hadn’t even realized that I crawled into the spa.

Ami taught me how to fishtail braid my hair, and then she pinned it to the back of my head.

“I thought you said you didn’t know much,” I said, managing to turn around to face her.

“I said I wasn’t girly,” she raised an eyebrow at me, “I know things.”

“How to you know them?”

“Work,” she shrugged, “you’d be surprised how I’m made to look at some of these restaurants.”

“What do you mean?”

“Cocktail dresses, roller skates, booty shorts,” she shrugged, “I once worked at a five star restaurant that required crazy stiletto heels. They made me… probably around six and a half feet tall.”

“Oh my,” I gasped, “I knew that serving was a busy job, but I didn’t know your portfolio was so diverse!”

“Yeah,” she listed on her fingers, “some places want waitresses with pink nails, some places want waitresses with long legs, some places want hair in tight princess buns, some want ‘em with french braids. I have to adhere to all sorts of dress codes.”

“I didn’t know you served at so many places!”

“What do you think I did?”

“I dunno,” I shrugged, “Worked one really famous restaurant, and were really good at it.”

“Oh, no way,” she shook her head, “I’ve worked at over 500 famous restaurants, for just a night.”

“How did you get scouted if you moved so much?”

“I stayed at my last job for two nights,” she laughed, “once I was scouted, the owner begged me to stay. Having a future Hope’s Peak student brought in crazy business.”

“So you got to serve a lot of people, then?”

“Prime ministers, fashion models, even the headmaster of Hope’s Peak!”

“Wow! You work so hard, Ami”

“Yeah, running my ass off is really something,” she sighed, “I’m glad I can have moments like this where I can just…” She trailed off, sinking under the water.

I laughed, and when she came back for air, I splashed her.

It’s almost like I forgot that I was destined to be a victim.

That night, I ate dinner with Ami. I tried to stop her from heading nose first into waitress mode, but unfortunately I wasn’t as persuasive as Cho.

The dining hall seemed to be split. Hibiki ate with Zuzu and Takumi. Noboru took a place at the table by himself. So did Mitsuo. Oda and Gon were both missing from the table, and Shun, Ginko, and Narumi sat in a huddle toward the end.

“Hey, Ami,” Shun stopped her from bringing our part of the table plates of curry, “Where you goin?”

“Bringing food to Sen and I?” She said, questioning why it wasn’t obvious.

“Why don’t you sit with us instead?” Shun looked as if he were making a clique of Ginko, Narumi, who took on the role of nurturing Ginko, and himself. He acted like his subtle bullying of Gon and I was a club to join.

“Nah, Sen and I are all set.”

“Oh, so you forgive him too?” Ginko’s head raised, “You think it was okay that Gon completely destroyed Afu’s body, just so his fat fucking dentist bitch could ride free? Of course you do, because you were willing to let us die too.” She sniffled, and Narumi whispered someone inaudible to her.

Ami looked shocked. She stood still, with the plates in her hands.

“Just give it a rest, Ginko,” Noboru said.

“Shut the fuck up, pint size,” Ginko barked.

Narumi whispered more.

“You’re overreacting,” Noboru said calmly.

Ginko stood out of her chair, “What?”

Noboru shrugged, blowing on his tea, “I’m sure you heard me.”

“Now, Noboru,” Narumi tried to reason with him.

Gon walked into the dining hall at managed to lock eyes with Ginko. He stood like a deer in headlights.

“Oh good, he’s here to hear this too,” Noboru stood on the chair. We all watched him as he stood stepped up on the table, “Ginko. Listen to me. You are in a killing game. None of this is fair to anyone, not the murderers, not the victims. You're bound to lose, just feel lucky it wasn’t your life. Gon, what you did was fucking deplorable. Nobody cares why or who or what. But you know it was. I know you're sad that Haruka’s dead, but you’re also overcome with guilt. You can’t apologize to us, because there’s no way to say sorry for what you did. I, though, forgive you.”

“Why the fuck-” Ginko began.

Noboru just loudly shushed her, “Wait your turn. I forgive you because everyone here has someone they care about. Even _I_ think some of you aren’t bad. To want to protect them, and to come up with an idea as hopeful as that one was for you… I bet none of you can say that there isn’t someone you would do that for. So Ginko, think about Afu. If she committed a murder, and you could risk yourself to get her outta here safe, wouldn’t you?”

Ginko stood silent.

“That’s what I thought,” Noboru crossed his arms, “I’m tired of your group. I’m tired of your hurling blame at empathetic people. I’m tired of everyone claiming they’re fighting this fight right, and then playing into the game Monokuma wants. We’re all mice,” he hopped down from the table, “You’re rewarding yourselves with the cheese at the end of your maze… But in the end we’re all just an experiment.”

I looked around the room at the shocked faces of everyone. Noboru admitted he liked us was one thing, but delivering a speech that was an attempt to bring us all together? It was something else. Zuzu cheered, “Go off lil’ man!”

Ginko pushed herself out of her chair and ran out of the room, quite dramatically. My eyes followed her, but as she left, I locked eyes with Mitsuo, who looked at me ashamed. He stood, and excused himself as well.

Noboru moved his seat next to Ami and I, and then invited Gon to sit.

Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry.

**Students Remaining: 12**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys  
> Sorry there's no art in this chapter like I planned. I might go back and add it, I've just been feeling horrible lately.  
> Thanks for keeping up with this
> 
> Also sorry for the sudden format change. I'm gonna go back and change all the chapters so its easier on everyone's eyes <3


	14. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (PART II)

I laid in my bed sometime before night time, just thinking about him.

Mitsuo was my greatest friend left in the game, or at least, I thought he was.

We promised we would be okay, we promised we would survive for each other. But his avoidance led to something that I feared so much: despair.

I wouldn’t cry. I swallowed it down. I cursed his name. I did everything I could to be angry instead of sad.

My only thoughts were, since he began ignoring me, I didn’t feel safe. I didn’t feel like I could fulfil our promise.

I felt tears stream down the sides of my face. I let out a little shiver when one pooled in my ear.

I sat up; crying over boys is the stupidest thing anyone could do.

The lump in my throat didn’t leave, no matter how hard I ignored it.

I checked my tablet for the time, it was 10:59, and I watched it blip to 11:00, waiting for the bear’s nasally voice to automate over my tablet.

Instead, there was nothing.

And then another minute passed.

And another.

Until, scaring me out of my mind, the tablet burst into Monokuma’s voice: “Good evening campers! Please gather at the main stage for a camp assembly. Attendance is mandatory, and expected quickly! Thank you.”

I threw my head back and groaned.

It took me a moment to put my shoes on, but when I opened my door, I saw others leaving as well.

Noboru was in pajamas: long pants and a tank top, displaying short arms heavily toned with muscle. It was a bit uncomfortable looking. Gon was in his pajamas as well: sweatpants and large stained shirt. With him, he was carrying a white lab coat, and a half eaten banana.

I seemed to be one of the only people not in pajamas.

Narumi walked up to me wearing a silk nightie that you’d see on TV. Her hair was down, and she wore slippers with it. Honestly, she looked like a model.  


“What do you think is going on?”

Ami walked up, barefoot, and wrapped in a towel, “I’m assuming it’s another motive.”

“Ami! Why don’t you have any clothes on?” Narumi gasped.

“I was in the shower!” Ami shrugged.

“Here,” Oda approached, “You can have my robe.” She removed her fluffy pink robe to reveal a short shirt, and a pair of shorts. She walked with bare feet on the ground.

Graciously, Ami slipped it on.

“Where’s Ginko?” Narumi asked.

Ginko walked down her steps and murmured, “Don’t lose yer fuckin’ mind, I’m right here.” She descended the stairs, rubbing her eye. Her eyes were deep set, puffy, as if she’d been crying, and wiping away layers of makeup.

“How are you doing?” Narumi asked kindly.

“M’fine,” she tried not to snap.

I looked amongst us. We were the only girls left in the game.

We walked together.

I looked at Gon, who looked back at me and smiled melancholically. He raised the banana at me, and took another bite.

As a congregation, we walked to the main stage.

There, Monokuma stood, dressed in a ranger hat, and holding a walking stick, “Heya kids! How’s a little night hike sound?”

We all looked at one another.

“Uh,” Ami was the first to speak, “Not great. I’m not wearing any clothes.”

“You should’ve thought about that before galavanting through the camp with no clothes on!” Monokuma’s brows knit together, “There are boys here you know! They’re probably getting engorged just thinking about what’s under that robe.”

“You don’t need to be gross,” Noboru shouted.

“I’m telling the truth!”

Takumi raised his hand, “What are we even doing here?”

“We’re discovering a new part of camp!” Monokuma seemed to smile, but his face stayed the same, let’s go!”

We groaned, but followed nonetheless.

This hike wasn’t as bad as the one to the next part of camp. It was no more than ten minutes to the next site, and there, there were six tents, a large bonfire with cushions around it, and a gazebo with a comfy looking bedding, pillows, and a netted canopy.

“Here’s the next part of camp!” Monokuma presented proudly.

“This is actually really nice,” Shun stretched, “We could get some outdoor z’s over here."

“Totally,” Zuzu stretched, “That pillow fort is lookin’ real nice right about now. Who wants a sleepover?”

“Sounds fun!” Hibiki agreed.

“Doesn’t it?” Monokuma giggled, “And that’s where our next motive comes into play!”

“Oh fuck,” Zuzu gasped, “Deadly pillow fights.”

“No,” Shun narrowed his eyes, “its gotta be something to do with the bonfire.”

“Wrong-o!” Monokuma pointed at Shun.

“It’s got something to do with sleeping,” Noboru said, and he and Oda made eye contact.

A soft ‘no’ came out of Noboru’s mouth, as Oda frowned, “No sleeping until a murder has been performed.”

“Bingo!” Monokuma cheered, “ _ No sleep ‘til… Murder! _ ” He waited for people to get the reference, but none of us responded, “Everybody’s a critic.”

“How are you even going to enforce that?” Mitsuo asked.

“Why don’t you sleep and find out?” Monokuma’s voice sounded grizzly and chaotic.

“You need to tell us what the stakes are,” Narumi stepped forward, “before we end our own lives fighting something that our brain is hardwired to need.”

“How about… Let me see… Those who sleep will be punished! It will be overzealous and painful!”

“How do we not sleep?” Hibiki’s eyebrows rose.

“How about you find out which one you prefer? The sleep deprivation, or the punishment!”

“No,” Ami said, “we’re just gonna have to follow what Zuzu said and-”

“No…” Oda whispered, “not-”

“-have a sleepover!”

“God damn it,” Noboru swore.

Ami and I went back to camp to change into out pajamas. Everybody else waited for us at the gazebo, setting up in the pillows with unzipped sleeping bags from the tents. There was enough for everyone to sleep comfortably.

Ami came out wearing a sports bra and exercise shorts. I felt a bit silly, because I mostly slept in my underwear and undershirt, so I had to explain that to Ami, and ask for shorts to borrow.

“Hey,” she shook off my embarrassment, “don’t worry. I got you. And you’re not alone, usually sleep in the buff too.”

_ I never said the buff _ , I thought to myself.

Ami had a pair of running shorts that fit okay. I walked back to camp with her, both of us in our jammies and shoes.

“Hey ladies,” Zuzu called, “Lookin’ p cozy! I brought my dock and mp3 player just for us all to listen to some tunes!” Zuzu was lounging comfortable in the gazebo, shamelessly in his boxers.

At least he had the dignity to clothe himself.

The music Zuzu played was upbeat, happy, the type of music that kept you up and pumped through the night. I knew he’d have no problems not sleeping… The rest of us however, were another story.

Narumi sat beside Oda, who was already settled in the blankets.

“The more comfortable you get, the more likely you’re going to fall asleep,” she pointed out.

“I’m not comfortable with a bunch of people sleeping in the same area as me, so don’t worry,” Oda rolled over, “I’m just trying to pretend this isn’t happening.”

Narumi scooted closer to her, laying her hand on an indiscreet part of Oda’s lumpy form, “Why don’t you want to spend time with your friends?”

Oda pulled the blanket over her head and said, “I just treasure my alone time.”

Narumi looked troubled, but didn’t press any more.

I waved at Hibiki, sitting next to he, Takumi, and Zuzu. He looked uncomfortable, as if he regretted speaking to me before. He immediately stood, and asked aloud, “Hey, does anyone wanna go get snacks with me?”

Nobody really budged. He looked at Zuzu and Takumi, but they looked snug in the pillows.

Mitsuo stood up and agreed, “I think we’ll need some materials if we’re gonna be pulling an all nighter.”

“I’ll come with- I mean, if you’d have me,” Gon stood.

Hibiki immediately looked a little more nervous than before. I think on his list of killers and victims, Gon was a killer, and he and Mitsuo were victims.

“Yeah, man,” Mitsuo pat his shoulder, “more people to help carry stuff back to everyone.”

And suddenly, my blood boiled.

Mitsuo had cut ties with me for what Gon did, then why did he forgive him, and not me.

Exasperated, I stood, “How about I come with?”

Mitsuo drained. Hibiki nodded, “The more the merrier!”

I hoisted myself up, and walked with the boys back to the dining room.

The walk was silent, our silent steps on twigs and branches.

Hibiki broke the silence, “Do you think those Monokuma monsters are still in the woods?”

“Nobody’s coming after us,” Mitsuo looked around, “Too bad we don’t have the stuff we took into the woods with us… Just for… defense.”

“I’m, heh, I’m glad they’re gone actually,” Hibiki laughed nervously, “Less weapons.”

“I don’t think that anyone has it in them to kill anymore,” I pitched, but I knew I was lying.

“I don’t think any of us have it in us,” Gon sighed, “I think it’s forced. It’s a state of paranoia that we’re put in where we can’t trust each other or… Or ourselves.”

“Definitely,” Mitsuo croaked. I caught him looking at me out of the side of his eye. My nostrils flared unintentionally. 

We arrived at the dining hall, and ended up filling our arms with snacks. Hibiki suggested Gon carry the snacks back in Haruka’s lab coat, using it as a makeshift bag. Gon shook his head, suggesting we use his shirt instead. He tied off the bottom, and we put our foodstuffs in.

“Dude,” Hibiki pushed up his glasses, “You can’t just- Sen’s here! And you- You’re… Do you work out?” His eyebrows shot up.

“Oh,” Gon looked down at his state of undress and slung Haruka’s jacket over his shoulder, “I’m sorry Sen! I didn’t think-”

“Don’t worry!” I tried not to sound eager. I wasn’t attracted to Gon, but I wouldn’t deny to myself that he had a nice body. Haruka did well in catching him, “I don’t care either way.”

Mitsuo let out a sharp huff, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

He immediately looked down.

We kept walking, and I pushed down my anger.

We returned to camp, and, to no surprise, found everyone at odds with one another.

Oda and Noboru sat silently, Ginko had her head in Narumi’s lap, and Shun was beside her, trying to offer comfort. Ami was trying to talk to Oda and Noboru, but it was obvious they were ignoring her. And Takumi and Zuzu were… Gone.

“Where’s Zuzu?” Hibiki asked. Nobody paid him any attention.

“Hey! Where’s Zuzu!” Hibiki yelled once more.

I knelt beside Noboru and asked, “Where’d the boys go?”

“God, hopefully they tripped and fell in the woods,” Noboru rolled his eyes, “They kept saying there was no atmosphere. Or, actually, Zuzu was saying it, and his lackey was just agreeing.”

“Oh,” Hibiki stuttered, “So they just left to get- uh, s-supplies too?”

“Probably some dumbshit music and speakers,” Noboru raised an eyebrow at the shirtless Gon, and asked, “Since when do you work out?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he laughed, and dumped out his makeshift bag in the center of our area, “We got snacks for everyone.”

And with snacks, we teenagers responded.

It was only minutes later that Takumi and Zuzu returned with the assumed speakers (which were bigger and louder than his dock‍) and music, and it started to feel like an actual slumber party.

It was easy for us to stay up well into the night. We sort of formed groups amongst ourselves. Oda, Narumi, and I got to get to know each other a bit better. Shun, Ami, and Ginko all played with one another’s hair. Takumi, Zuzu, and Hibiki played with a remixing app on Zuzu’s tablet. And Mitsuo, Noboru, and Gon talked about their talents. 

My eye caught Ami as she looked amongst us all, and her nose scrunched up a little. I could tell she didn’t like how divided we were.

“Hey, let’s play a game!” Ami stood, “I want us all to hang out!”

Noboru looked at her, and laughed under his breath.

“I’m serious,” Ami pouted.

“Games would be a good exercise for all of us to get to know one another more effectively,” Narumi pointed out.

I stood, “Yeah, come on guys, we always divide like this, let’s play… uh… Never Have I Ever.”

Ginko sat up, “I’m down.”

“Fine, I’m in too,” Shun agreed.

Zuzu’s group of boys were in it instantly. Oda was reluctant, but agreed. Noboru asked, “Do I have to?”

“Yes!” Ami clapped her hands together once, “And how about you, Mitsuo?”

His eyebrows pinned, “I guess I have to.”

We sat in a circle, and Zuzu lowered his music.

“How do we decide who’s going first?” Shun asked.

“How about who’s birthday is next?” Hibiki suggested.

“We don’t know the date, though,” I frowned.

“Then how about, whomever has the first birthday of the year!” Narumi smiled, “Then we can move clockwise. My birthday is in January, anyone else?”

“Me!” Zuzu’s hand shot up.

“I’m the twenty-second,” Narumi stated.

“Sweet, Aquarius,” Zuzu nodded, “I’m a Capricorn. I’m the 17th.”

“Then you’re first, Zuzu!” Ami was really excited for this game, “So you’re supposed to say something you’ve never done… And if any of us have done it, you put a finger down. I guess we’ll see how long we can play?”

“Sure, sure,” Zuzu started, “Never have I ever p- No wait, I have done that. Uh, never have I ever… dyed my hair pink.”

“Oh that’s cheating,” Shun booed him.

“But it gets two people out,” Zuzu smiled, “You can fuck me over next bud.”

Ginko and Shun put down a finger.

It was Ami’s turn, and she immediately said, “Never have I ever… Failed a class.”

Again, Shun groaned. He, Ginko, and Zuzu put down a finger.

“Really, Zu?” Hibiki asked with wide eyes.

Zuzu looked surprised that he was surprised, “Dude, I hate math.”

“My turn,” Ginko said, “Never have I ever… been called ugly.”

“Really?” Shun asked in a tone that made her shove him.

“Really haven’t… I’m too hot, I guess.”

All of us put a finger down, and we could feel the sting.

Shun was next. He had never grown out a moustache. Only Zuzu was out.

Narumi’s turn was there, and she bit her lip and said, “Never have I ever… kissed anyone?”

We looked around guiltily. Zuzu, Shun, Ginko, Gon, Ami, and Oda all lowered a finger.

“Oda?” Narumi asked with surprise written all over her face.

“I don’t have to say who,” Oda’s eyes narrowed.

“I never said you did,” Narumi retreated, “I was just surprised is all.”

It was hard for me to think of one without picking on someone, but i went against my better judgement.

“Never have I ever forgot my talent,” I said, staring forward.

“Uh, okay,” Mitsuo peeped, and lowered a finger.

"Ruthless," Zuzu laughed his usual laugh. Mitsuo wouldn't look at me.

“Never have I ever,” Gon began, “Uh, broken a bone.”

“I bet you woulda got a boner,” Ginko laughed.

“Ha, bone-er,” Takumi remarked.

“I don’t think I would’ve- That would’ve been excruciatingly painful.”

“Yeah, I didn’t go poppin’ chubbies when I broke my leg,” Zuzu said, putting down a finger. Oda, Ami, and Noboru all lowered a finger.

Mitsuo was next. I didn’t want to look at him. I felt mad, which made me feel petty, which turned into anger toward me. It was better I felt nothing at all for him.

“Never have I ever… worn makeup,” he shrugged.

All the girls lowered a finger, plus Shun and Zuzu.

Zuzu looked nervously at his four fingers left, “Hey, what happens when I lose?”

“You’re not gonna lose,” Hibiki cheered on.

“Sorry your buddy’s lived a little,” Noboru raised his eyebrows, “Never have I ever… Pissed myself.”

“Come on!” Zuzu lowered a finger.

We were all silent for a moment, and then we burst into laughter.

“You peed your pants Zuzu?” I asked.

“Yeah!” he was turning pink, “I was doin’ a long DJ party. I got so into it that I didn’t even know I went.”

“What the fuck?” Shun cackled.

“Nobody else has pissed their pants?” Zuzu looked around the group. None of us lowered our fingers.

“Fuck! This is embarrassing,” he laughed it off, "Does being a baby count?"  


"No," Takumi shrugged, "That's like saying 'I've never breathed' we've all done it!"

“Okay, okay,” Ami calmed down, “It’s Oda’s turn.”

“Never have I ever worn glasses.”

“Cheap!” I called out, lowering a finger. Down went Hibiki, Gon, Narumi, and my fingers.

“All’s fair,” Oda laughed slightly. It was good to see her smile.

“Okay, I’ve never gone on a cruise,” Takumi said.

“Fair,” Ami nodded. Zuzu, Ami and I were out.

“What kinda cruises did you guys go on?”

“I went on one to work a buffet for a night, then a swanky lounge, then the rest of my stay was free,” Ami said.

“I married some people on one,” I shrugged.

“I see, so all of our cruises were for work,” Zuzu nodded, “I jockeyed one.”

“ _ DJ-ed _ ,” Noboru corrected.

“Disc jockeyed,” Zuzu laughed. Noboru looked annoyed.

Hibiki looked like he had a good one. And when it was silent he declared, “Never have I ever been in love.”

"Liar," Noboru muttered, but nonetheless silence fell upon us all.

Slowly, we watched as Gon put down his finger.

“I would’ve liked to,” Ami whispered.

“Yeah,” Ginko’s voice was low in her throat. Shun put his finger down as well, and Ginko spotted it, “Wait, what?” She looked at him with confused eyes.

“What?” Shun asked, guiltily.

“You put your finger down!”

“Yeah, and?” his face turned pink.

“Who?” she smacked his shoulder, a smile returning to her.

“I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” he barked, "It's none of you bitches anyway! Just- She was the one that got away. Stupid kids shit."  


“Hey, hey,” Zuzu said in a low voice, “Never have I ever,  _ ever _ , given a bad high five.”

We all burst into laughter again.

We played the game for a surprisingly long time. I learned a lot about my classmates. Narumi stuffed her bra when she was younger, which was surprising to everyone, given her endowment later in life. Gon and Shun had both been to England. We’d all been on TV, except for Mitsuo. Zuzu lost pretty early on, and we allowed him five more fingers. He was the second person to lose too.

But we started to feel... normal. We felt like a group of normal teenagers, doing a normal slumber party. We got to know each other. We got to enjoy each other.  


We had fun, for once.

**Students Remaining: 12**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so this chapters kinda long, and it's a lot of character development!!! You're gonna get to see more FTE's with people, until the... ahem... Murder.
> 
> So far, the chapter is pretty long? I think in the end it'll be the longest chapter. So sorry. I might do a double update next week, or an update sometime later this week, before thursday.  
> As always, thanks for reading. I love you guys a lot!!!


	15. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (PART III)

We all started to feel pretty awful by 4 am.

Gon nodded out a few times, us all having to snap in his face. Same with Ginko. It was obvious the two had sleepless nights before.

When the sun rose, Mitsuo sat outside the gazebo, on a step.

I was tired of being angry.

I sat next to him.

“Hey,” I said, sitting down.

He stiffened, “Hi.”

“The sunrise is pretty.”

“Yeah.”

We were quiet for a moment. It felt sort of like our night on the dock. I missed that Mitsuo. I reached for his hand, and said, “I don’t know what I did wrong-”

He took his hand back, and shook his head, “You didn’t do anything wrong… It’s… It’s me, Sen.”

I looked at him, puzzled.

“Do you want to know the truth?” he looked at me with a guilt ridden face, like it was the first time he was allowed to look at me in forever.

I did. I really did want to know the truth. But more than that, I wanted my friend back. Sure, everyone was great to be around in the game. But Mitsuo was the only person I felt truly safe around, and I wanted that back. I paused, and shook my head, “You don’t have to explain anything to me, as long as we can go back to how we were just the other day.”

“I-”

“Mitsuo, it had only been a day, and I missed you like crazy. I thought, maybe I did something wrong. I thought that maybe I lost my best friend.”

“Best friend?” there was slight surprise on his face. It was beginning to be lit up by the sun.

He already had eye bags.

“Remember when we were on the dock?” I said, finally grabbing his hand tight, “And we made that promise to survive this stupid game with one another?”

He nodded.

“That’s all I want. I want to get out of here with my best friend by my side, the only person here who I can actually feel perfectly safe with. That’s what I want.”

“Sen,” Mitsuo whispered, “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

“As long as you’re gonna be here for me the rest of the game,” I shook my head, “I don’t care.”

He squeezed my hand. The sun came up over the trees and fully lit his sparkling brown eyes.

The sun hit my skin. He hugged me.

I felt safe. I felt warm.

 

After our all nighter in the new part of camp, we decided to get up and stretch out our muscles. We could fight tiredness if we kept ourselves busy. I headed back to camp to play with the monovendo machine again.

I only tried for it three times, and received a packet of kids clay, men’s work boots, an energy drink, and really nice sports bra. They were weird items to just receive from a vending machine, but they were cool to get nonetheless.

As I left, Shun caught my eye, trying to lug some clothes into the laundry room, but also open the door.

“Hey, let me help you!” I called after him. He took one look at me and smiled.

“Thanks,” he said, his eyes scanning me.

I slowly became more insecure as he did so, finally asking, “What?”

“I just think it’s cute that you’re still in your jammies.”

“Yeah, okay, just do your laundry,” I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

“Awe, sad hair isn’t gonna keep me company?”

“Yeah, sad hair’s pretty close to punching you in the arm.”

“Hey!” His mouth drew into a thin line, “I’m serious! Keep me company while I do laundry.”

“Uh,” I paused for a moment. Shun wasn’t someone I saw myself befriending in the outside world. But it wasn’t the outside world, and I had to cement that into my head. So I hoisted myself onto the dryer and said, “You know what, sure! We haven’t hung out yet!”

Shun flashed me a smile, and let out a laugh of a sorts, “Whoa, I didn’t actually expect you to give in…” He hoisted his laundry into the washer and poured some powdered detergent in. As he did that, he seemed to have an epiphany, because he looked back at me, slamming the washer door shut, and saying, “I know  _ exactly _ what we can do!”

I was already afraid.

He turned the knob on the washer, and grabbed my hand, yanking me to the backstage.

I already knew what I was there for.

“Okay, listen,” he said, bringing me to the chair and sitting me down, “How about I give you a little cut and color?”

“ _ No! _ ” I immediately bark, “Absolutely not!”

“I think would look nice with an asymmetrical bob? And… Black or dark blue or something- Ooh! Like Mitsuo’s hair!”

“I’m not matching with Mitsuo!”

“But you’ve got this bland matcha green tea low ponytail middle school look… Sen, I’ve made hundreds of people, from jocks to fashionistas, look exactly how they are supposed to with new hair. Let me do you.”

“I do look exactly how I am supposed to,” my brow furrowed. I liked my hair just fine.

“You’re not reaching your full potential!” His hands clapped together, “You’re pretty Sen. A little bony, but you’ve got a great face. Let me frame it. Let me add a little mystery to your look. Right now, you’re typical girl next door. I want you to be powerful, intimidating business woman with an enslaved male secretary.”

“I don’t even know what you’re saying to me right now.”

“Let me make you hotter!”

I had no idea why he was so insistent, but I wouldn’t give in. Instead, I would compromise: “How about you just style my hair?”

His lips thinned in his mouth, and he peeped, “How about bangs?”

“No bangs!”

“A trim of the dead ends?”

I paused, and pulled my ponytail over my shoulder. A trim would be nice. I bit my lip and rolled my eyes, “Fine, a trim.”

“And a style?”

“Nothing crazy,” I pointed at him, “What are you thinking?”

“Oh shit,” his hand slapped to his mouth, “What if we did a transformation! What if I turn you around so you can’t see, and then fix you up?”   
“It’s just a style… You’re not  _ fixing _ me.”

“Oh trust me,” Shun said, putting on an apron, “You have no fucking clue what a styling from me can do for you.”

“Keep it simple,” I said, but had to add in, “ _ please _ .”

He let out a loud  _ ha _ and turned my chair around. Dramatically, he placed the smock over my shoulders, and started to work.

In movies, you see older women telling their hairdressers everything about their lives. I wasn’t one to do that, my mom’s hairdresser also did my hair, and I see her and my mom gawk on and on about everything, but I stayed quiet. I didn’t have anything to say to a stranger like her.

But sitting in Shun’s seat, we talked.

We talked about school, and our fears of forgetting our first years. We talked about books and TV and movies. Shun liked movies with beautiful women and fast cars. I wasn’t surprised. He laughed when I said I liked shoujo manga.

He was delicate with my hair. I don’t know why, but I expected him to be as rough and brash as his personality. Instead it felt like my hair was being handled by someone so cautious, that you’d think he could feel it too.

I saw the tattoo on his inner arm, and asked, “What’s that for?”

He looked down at his red pair of scissors, and said, “Oh, uh… You know, just cutting hair.”

I shrugged. Made sense.

“Are you ready to see yourself?” He asked.

I swallowed, and nodded. His voice was soft and reassuring when he said, “You look like a princess.”

He spun me around, and I was face to face with myself, or rather, a dolled-up version of myself. My hair was delicate, soft curls coming down my shoulders and stopping at my chest. It wasn’t colossal, but it felt nice to feel… pretty. I bounced with the curls, which made me giggle.

Shun looked at me with starry eyes and said, “Doesn’t it feel good?”

“Feel good?” I laughed, “No, I  _ look _ good!”

“That’s wasn’t my goal! Shun, every person is beautiful in their own respects, but I aim to unlock their inner beauty by making them  _ feel _ beautiful. Did you hear your laugh?”

I blushed pink. My laugh  _ was _ happy.

“I loo- I feel great, Shun,” I looked at the freshly cut ends of the curls and said, “And my hair looks so healthy.”

“That’a girl.”

“Hey,” I handed him the shoebox that I still had from the Monovendo machine, “This is kinda a weird present but-”

He raised an eyebrow at me and opened the box, “ _ Tumbs _ ! Sen, where’d you get these?”

“I-”

“I don’t care,” he interrupted, unlacing his shoes, “Holy shit, holy  _ shit! _ I’ve always wanted a pair of these!”

“I’m glad you like them,” I laughed.

“God, I gotta go show Ginko!” He struggled to put the boots on fast enough, “They’re a perfect fit! I’m gonna,” he hugged me, “Thank you Sen! Oh shit!” He left the backstage, running like a mad man.

And I looked at myself in the mirror.

There I was, looking, and feeling pretty.

I left the backstage room, and slinked back to my room to actually dress myself. Shun was right: looking good made me feel good. I kept looking at myself in the mirror, fixing my curls, and laughing.

I walked outside, and caught someone walking up my porch: Mitsuo.

He, well, for lack of better words, looked dumbfounded. He stammered on his own tongue: “Sen, I- Wow, what- What did you do to your hair?”

“I know right?” I laughed, “Shun asked if he could do it and-”

“You look really nice!”

“Thank you!” I tried not to blush. I wasn’t sure if I succeeded.

Mitsuo swallowed, trying to regain his train of thought, “Uh, hey, uh, did you- Well, if you’re busy I-”

I knew what he was going to ask, so I asked for him, “Did you want to hang out?”

He laughed nervously, and nodded, “I’d like that.”

It felt like it’d been months since Mitsuo and I had been alone together. People had died in the time between. But being with him, as terrible as it sounds, I forgot about it all for a moment. He was one of those friends that you could be comfortable around, no matter the situation, and that’s what I liked about him.

We walked down the corridor between the cabins, and he turned to me, “Where did you want to go?”

“I dunno,” I shrugged, walking toward the equipment room, “Let’s find something to do in the equipment room!”

“Sounds good.”

We walked, not really talking to one another. Maybe things were still awkward from out little tiff, maybe they were tense because we were tired. I didn’t really know.

Inside the equipment room we rifled through some of the fun stuff. It felt like the first day at camp. We suggested things back and forth to each other, but none of it seemed doable given our area: tennis, basketball, volleyball.

Mitsuo dug through a craft bin and turned around excited, “No way!”

“What?”

“Look at all this origami paper!”

My face scrunched up, “Origami?”

“Have you ever done it before?”

“No,” I admitted.

“Then quiet!” He sat cross legged on the ground and patted next to him.

I sat willingly.

“Okay, I know like… a ton of folding things. I have a cousin who was obsessed with making stars and swans and stuff! Let’s… Let’s start with something easy: a heart.”

I felt my heart beat in my chest, “Okay.”

“Choose your paper,” he handed me the stack.

“”Oh, uh,” I rifled through the stack, pulling out a pastel pink paper that was covered in little blue hearts, “I’ll do this one.”

He flipped through the papers and found a piece with light green and dark blue stripes, “I’ll do this one! Okay, so follow me…”

He showed me how to fold a heart.

His was perfect. Mine was less than great.

“That’s awesome Sen! Look at it!”

I laughed, “It’s horrible! Look at yours!”

“Mine is only good because of years of practice!” He picked mine up, “How about this… We do a trade. You can keep mine, and I’ll keep yours.”

I picked up his heart, “I, uh, yeah. Okay.” I slipped it into my cardigan pocket without saying much else. My mind had to snap back to where I was, “Hey, wait! What if that’s your talent!”

“Wh- Origami?” He looked confused, “I’d hardly call that a talent!”

“Maybe not origami, but… Some sort of art!” I grabbed my bag, and pulled out the children’s clay, “Here, take this! And make me something!”

“Wha- Where’d you get this!”

“Doesn’t matter!”

“But-” He held the clay, “Is it okay I keep this?”

“Yeah, hopefully it unlocks something in you!”

He looked at the bright, primary colors of the clay and said, “Sen… I don’t…” He stopped, and then sighed.

“What is it Mitsuo?”

“I don’t know if I’m ever going to find my talent.”

“Hey, don’t say that,” I put my hand on his shoulder.

“No really,” he put the clay dough down, and put my poorly made heart on top of it, as to not forget, “Nothing is ringing a bell. Like, what if we’ve discovered my talent, and I just can’t remember it.”

“Then… Well, then you’re in luck,” I had to come up with something to make him feel better, “You’re a clean slate. When we get out of here and continue our lives in school, the staff will tell you your talent, and you’ll be able to rehabilitate and begin anew! That’s kinda… That’s kinda cool, right?”

He looked like he was going to cry. He covered it with a yawn, and lowered his face.

“I’m really tired, Sen.”

“I am too.”

He leaned forward, resting his head on my shoulder. Right as he made contact with me, though, our tablets beeped.

“A sleeper has been discovered! Meet in the cabin hall for the punishment! Attendance is mandatory!”

His head darted up to look at me. We stared one another in the eye.

_ Was someone else going to die? _

Together, we rushed outside.

Monokuma had Gon by the collar, holding him and standing on the picnic table. Next to them was a big wheel with different colored slots and our names written in each space.

Everyone gathered in a matter of minutes. Luckily, people were nearby.

“Gon Uramoto has been found guilty of sleeping!” Monokuma announced, “When there is a strict rule against it!”

Gon looked absolutely exhausted.

“Breaking rules is a big nono for Camp Leader Monokuma!”

Gon looked up at the bear weakly.

“This means he is due for punishment!”

A smile twinged on his lips.

“Gon! Spin the wheel!” Monokuma demanded.

He snapped back to reality, “You’re not going to kill me?”

“What?” Monokuma laughed, “I’m not going to kill anyone! Our cast would drop drastically! I’m waiting for one of you to snap and kill the other. I just want you to spin the wheel.”

He looked at the wheel. Our names were in print.

“Wait, am I going to have to kill-”

“No! God damnit! Just spin!”

He spun the wheel. A slight hum of the spokes hitting the selector rang, and as it came to a slow, everyone’s eyes spun in circles, wondering who it was going to land on.

Below the red arrow of the wheel was my name.

“Sen Oshiro!” Monokuma called, “Come on down, Solemniser!”

Cautiously, I took a step forward. Mitsuo grabbed my arm and looked at me pleadingly.

I kept walking.

“Come on, we don’t got all day.”

Gon’s eyes looked ridiculously tired. It helped me to walk over more obedient, if it meant I was helping him.

I reached he and Monokuma, who were together on that bench, Gon sitting and Monokuma standing on the table part, and stood before them, “What do you wan-”

Monokuma slapped me, hard.

Hard enough to knock me off my feet, sending my glasses flying. Gon jumped out of his seat, I heard sand crunching below shuffling feet, Mitsuo yelling, other squabble, but mostly, pain rang in my ears.

“It doesn’t just hurt you to break my rules,” Monokuma’s sing song voice, “It hurts your classmates too.”

I crawled for my glasses.

Gon went to reach for them.

“Nobody help her!” Monokuma demanded, “Unless you want to spin the wheel too.”

“This isn’t fair,” Oda barked. I looked up at the crowd arguing with the bear. My friends had become unfamiliar blobs.

“These are my rules! Seems fair to me,” the bear laughed.

I crawled toward my glasses. Monokuma hopped off the bench and walked toward them gingerly.

He stepped on my hands, digging his heel into each of them.

I screamed.

“You’re hurting her!” Mitsuo called.

“No shit!” Monokuma kicked my glasses a bit more out of range, “My rule was no sleeping. This is what happens when you sleep, okay?” He threatened, “Anyone feeling tired?”

“N-No s-s-sir,” Gon blubbered, “Th-That’s enough n-now. I learned m-my lesson.”

He looked at Gon for a long while, and then nodded. I couldn’t tell his face, but he seemed content, because after that, he walked away.

A few seconds pass, and then, suddenly, I’m surrounded by everyone.

I can see in just a few moments. The first thing I see is Gon’s crying face.

“I’m so sorry,” he sobbed, “I didn’t-”

“You didn’t think about anyone but yourself!” Ginko barked.

“I didn’t know!”

“Lay off, Ginko,” Oda argued, undoing her necktie. She held it against my cheek, “She’s cut pretty deep.”

I saw my own blood. My brain couldn’t comprehend much that was going on, I was so blindsided by the attack.

My head was in Narumi’s lap. Ami ran off. I felt short circuited, and I desperately wanted to shut down.

“Hey!” Noboru yelled, “We can’t have her falling asleep!”

“Uh, uh, Sen! Uh, fuck, uh... Tell me about your dream wedding!” Mitsuo knelt by Narumi, holding my shoulders.

“Wh- Wedding?” I managed.

“Tell me all about it!”

I didn’t even thinking about why he would ask. My one-track mind focused on the question.

“Succulents,” I said, “in my bouquet. Lots of green.”

“What about your cake,” Noboru knelt on the other side of me.

“Carrot cake.”

“Tell me about your dress,” Narumi asked, “What kind of dress do you want.”

Pain boiled on the surface of my face. I was crying, I knew it. People’s faces twisted in pain as they watched me describe what kind of wedding I wanted. My eyes shut tight, trying to focus on something that wasn’t my cheek.

Oda wiped my face once more, “Come on Sen… What kinda dress?”

“High neck… Lots of lace… Big skirt.”

Mitsuo moved a curl from my face. Oda pressed another side of her tie to my cheek.

“Oh dear!” I hear Gurekuma’s voice gasp, “She needs to come with me to the nurse’s office immediately!”

“Can you stand?” Narumi asked me.

I wasn’t as bad off as everyone thought. They were just as blindsided as I was.

“Yeah,” I grunted.

“Here, I got ‘er,” Ami linked her arm under me, and helped me up, stabilizing me when I wobbled, “Hey, you’re gonna be alright.”

“I’m fine… I just- That hurt,” I pressed my hand to my cheek, and looked at the amount of blood expelling. It was a surprising amount.

“Let’s hope this doesn’t scar!” Gurekuma panicked, holding my hand and hurrying me off to the nurse’s tent.

 

**Students Remaining: 12**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAAAY PUNISHMENT!  
> Also sorry about the quality of the arts, I did the hug first, and then I had to go somewhere lmao  
> Anyways, I think another update is going to come before next thursday the 22. Probably a monday update or something!!! :)  
> Love you guys, always!


	16. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (PART IV)

“I warned him,” Gurekuma went on as I laid on the nurses bench, “no sleep is gonna hurt people… And his hit… Well, I think he forgets we’re robots.”

“I don’t think he forgets,” I said, my face scrunching up as she placed a disinfectant soaked cotton ball against my face, “He wanted to send a warning. His claws were out.”

“What warning is slapping you?”

“Don’t break the rules. Things will get worse.”

“Don’t give up hope,” she seemed to frown. She pat my hand so gently that I forgot they were bruised.

“It’s kinda hard not to…” I leaned my head back, “I am so fucking tired Gurekuma.”

“The language on you kids…” she said, prepping a bandage for my cheek, “Nonetheless, your tiredness shouldn’t mean that you are going to give up. You’ve made it this far, Sen! I believe in you.”

“...Thanks.” I didn’t know how much I could trust her. She seemed to want well for us campers, but then again, she was a robot who was built like Monokuma.

“Hopefully this makes it all better. This is a waterproof bandage, so you can shower with it,” the bandage was placed on my cheek, and she put her clawless paw on my hand, “I think Monokuma needed it to be you to show everyone how ruthless he really is.”

“What?”

“Oh, nevermind. Forget I said anything!”

“No, what-”

“Your friends are waiting for you outside,” she helped me stand. I wobbled a little. Monokuma’s hit might have knocked me off my equilibrium slightly.

“But what-”

“Tut tut,” she scolded, “I better not see you again! Unless your wound acts up… Or you just want to say hi, that is.” She pushed me out of the tent.

And, as she said, everyone was standing, waiting for me to come out.

“Sen!” Gon was the first to notice. He looked even sleepier than before. He ran up and hugged me, crying, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think-”

“It’s okay,” I attempted at sounding soothing. I couldn’t tell if it worked.

Mitsuo wrapped his arms around my back, resting his head on my shoulder. Ami held her arms around Gon and Mitsuo, squeezing me in the middle. “Group hug,” she shouted.

Only a few people participated: Ami, Gon, Mitsuo, Narumi, Zuzu, and Hibiki. Everyone else stood by, waiting for everyone to get off me before smiling and nodding appreciatively that I was back.

Even Oda nodded at me, and asked, “How’s it feel?”

“Uh, it stings a little… But… I’ve had worse.”

“Worse than getting slapped by a robot,” Noboru let out a little laugh, “You’re a tough one, then.”

“Oh yeah, our idea!” Hibiki nudged Takumi.

“Oh, yeah,” Narumi said, “The music boys actually had a pretty nice idea.”

“What was it?”

“Okay, so listen to this,” Zuzu explained, holding up three fingers, “We eat dinner, get nice and full, but not like sleepy full, gotta load up on sugars and shit. Then we listen to tunes of the highest energy. And then we go for a swim. That should take up the darker side of the night, and then we’ll be able to watch the sunrise, and act like we totally didn’t go a night without our z’s.”

“That sounds… okay,” I said, “I mean, it sounds as good as it’s gonna get.”

“I think we’ve got to try our hardest,” Takumi said, “Because who knows how long this sleep ban will last until Monokuma realizes that we’re not gonna kill each other.”

“If he stops the sleep ban,” Noboru said, looking concerned.

“He will have to, before we all go insane,” Narumi frowned.

“Hey, no more worries,” Ami interrupted, “Let’s go eat dinner!”

And we did exactly what we planned. Ami and Mitsuo cooked a yummy dinner, and a sugary dessert. Zuzu played some electrifying tunes to keep us energized, and we headed to the indoor pool.

“Is there a time prohibition on the pool?” Narumi asked, holding the door open for the girls to enter the locker room. Only Ginko headed inside.

“I didn’t see one when we scouted on the first day,” Ami shrugged, “Did you Gon?”

Gon shook his head.

“I think the only rule is no eating,” Oda said, “And we did that well over an hour ago.” She went in next.

“I think we’ll be okay,” Ami and I went inside. Narumi closed the door behind us.

I looked at the four girls around me and frowned to myself.

Just the five of us were left in the game. I stood, dumbstruck that, already, three girls, sweet, kind, amazing girls, had succumb to the game.

Narumi looked at me, concerned, “Are you alright?”

“Oh, uh,” I laughed absently, “I’m fine.”

“Alright,” she looked at me suspiciously, “if you feel unwell, please let me know.”

“Of course,” I laughed, “please, don’t worry.”

We dressed, and headed out to see the boys already slamming into the water. Zuzu full body tackled Hibiki, landing them both in the water quite violently. Takumi was climbing the high dive, making his way pretty high up already. Mitsuo slowly waded into the water, beside Gon, who sat on a step. Shun chased Noboru around the pool, who kept peeking behind him, screaming, “Fuck off!”

Ginko, upon seeing this, immediately running up and pushing Shun into the pool. Noboru turned around, relieved, and said, “Thank y- Shit!” Ginko had begun chasing him, instead.

“Be careful,” Narumi gasped.

“Tell her to stop!” Noboru shouted, getting a good enough distance from Ginko that they were now at a standoff about the pool.

“Hey, watch this!” Takumi shouted, jumping off the high dive.

His dive was beautiful; he spun, and folded, and stretched, and then landed. His splash couldn’t have been more than a foot high. It was nothing less than extraordinary.

He came back out of the water, and Hibiki climbed on Zuzu’s shoulder and shouted, “Yes! Takumi! That’s what I’m talking about!”

Ami climbed up the ladder and cannonballed in.

Oda and I were the only one not participating in the pool.

She raised her eyebrow at me, “You gonna join them?”

“Are you?”

“I, uh, don’t want to get my hair wet.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know how long my dye will last,” she admitted.

“No way,” I asked, “What’s your natural color?”

“None of your business.”

“Come on!” I held onto her arm.

“You don’t need to know.”

I pouted, and looked at how close the both of us were to the water. I bit my lip. I knew if I forced Oda into the water, she’d be pissed, but… When wasn’t she pissed? With all my might, I clutched her arm and ran fully toward the water. She was so surprised by this, that she immediately crumpled into the water.

She popped back up, and narrowed her eyes at me, and then shrugged, “You got me. Fair and square… But now- WAH!”

Oda was raised from the water from under her, with Shun underneath her. She screamed, on his shoulders, “Put me down!”

“Chicken!” Shun shouted.

“Get me up, get me up!” Hibiki climbed on Zuzu, who sunk under the water, and popped back up.

“I play winner,” Takumi swam over.

Ginko splashed into the water, “Fuck yeah, me too!”

Oda absolutely destroyed Hibiki, Takumi, and Ginko. She started to feel confident on Shun’s shoulders, until Noboru climbed up Zuzu’s back and said, “Okay, my turn.”

“No, no, fuck off you freaky strength baby!” Shun lunged backwards, throwing Oda off of him. She screamed all the way down, and landed with a splash.

Ami and Hibiki also ended up losing to Noboru. Mitsuo raised an eyebrow at me, and plugged his nose before retreating underwater. He lifted me up out of the water and said, “Come on guys, a new challenger.”

Noboru laughed, and said, “Yeah, okay.”

I tried my best to get Noboru off Zuzu’s shoulders, but he was too strong. I decided not to use strength, and went straight to his armpits to tickle him.

He kicked backwards, swearing, and falling off Zuzu’s shoulders.

“Yes! Way to go Sen!” Mitsuo shouted before sinking back underwater and getting me off of him.

Zuzu ended picking me back up and shouted, “New chicken champion!”

Our chicken tournament lasted a bit longer with me losing my title immediately. We played in the water for the whole night, staring into the fluorescents when we got sleepy. Being in the water actually kept us up.

We ended up floating on our backs when we got too tired to do anything. I bumped into Gon, and he said, “Sorry Sen.”

“Hey, no big,” I laughed, “we’re all floating.”

He stared up, “I’m sorry… for everything.”

“Gon, it-”

“For not stopping Haruka, for fucking with the crime scene, for being a sad sack of shit… I’m sorry for it all.”

“Gon,” I stood on my tiptoes in the end of the pool, “as long as we keep moving forward… Then… Then that’s how I know you’re really trying.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Gon exhaled, sinking into the water.

We were able to stay up until the sunlight once more. 

We were pruned and waterlogged, sleepy and in need of a shower.

“I think we should all shower in the locker rooms,” Takumi said, combing back his hair, “just so nobody is even tempted by looking at their bed.”

“Good idea,” Narumi agreed.

And that’s what we did. The girls and I showered in the locker room, feeling barely alive. It was past the 48 hour point of being awake for us. Two whole days since the trial. Two whole days without Haruka. Two whole days of no sleep.

“God, I would kill for a coffee,” Ginko tilted her head back as she turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her body.

“Let me make you one,” Ami smiled, resting her hand on Ginko’s shoulder.

“It’s a shame your curls were ruined,” Narumi frowned at me, “You looked very pretty.”

“Thanks,” I ran my fingers through my hair, “It’s okay though… It was going to go back to normal eventually.”

“You looked fine before it,” Oda said, putting her shirt on.

“I’m gonna go do laundry,” I stretched, “I’ve got some dirty clothes, and the machines are loud enough to keep me up.”

“Hey,” Oda slipped her skirt back on, “I’ll go with you. I need to do laundry too.”

Oda and I headed back to our cabins, and then met in the middle area. Hibiki, Takumi, and Zuzu stood there, talking.

“I’m just acting like this is a gig,” Zuzu said, “That’s all I can do. I’m probably gonna mix some shit at the mainstage, if you guys wanna join me.”

“I’m actually gonna go to the library,” Takumi said, “Read some scary stories, then swim some laps. That’ll keep me up.”

“I’ll go with you, Zu,” Hibiki offered. Zuzu ruffled his hair and smiled at him.

“Hey, you eavesdropping?” Oda smirked at me.

“Uh,” I didn’t know how to make an excuse, “I… I… Yeah.”

“I get it,” she adjusted her hamper in her hands, “It’s nice to know where everyone is.”

“Yeah…” I nodded, “You ready?”

She nodded, and we walked to the laundry room.

“So,” I said, holding the door open, “You want to hang out with me.”

“No,” Oda narrowed her eyes at me, “I just had to do laundry too.”

I smiled at her, and said, “Sure…”

“Are you really that self-centered?” she opened the washer and started loading her clothed in.

“I just think you can use your words,” I shrugged, being patronizing, “‘Oh Sen, you’re gonna do laundry? Bring me with!’”

“Shut up,” Oda poured the detergent in and closed the lid. She hoisted herself up on top of the washer, and kicked her legs.

“I’m just teasing.”

She quieted, “I know…”

She watched me load my clothes, add the soap, and switch the switches.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Oda said.

“Huh?”

“You’re putting your cardigan and jeans on delicates. They need a heavier wash. At least do normal.”

“Oh, I didn’t even notice.”

She hopped down, “Do you not do laundry often?”

“I mean, I did… Just on my own machine.”

“Oh, these machines are just like mine at home.”

“Did you do laundry a lot?”

Oda smiled almost reminiscently, “With lots of kids at home, yeah, there was a lot of laundry to be done.”

“You have a lot of siblings?”

“Oh yeah. Two older brothers, me, a younger brother, and two younger half-sisters.”

“Oh wow,” I said. I watched her hoist herself up on my washer.

“Yeah, I did a lot of laundry when I wasn’t working. Lots of babies means lots of dirty clothes. Lots of boys getting in the mud too.”

“That was nice of you to do,” I smiled.

“Well, I had to,” she bit her lip, “but it was worth it.”

“My mom liked laundry, but hated dishes,” I sat next to her, “So my dad did the dishes. I liked to vacuum, so I did that.”

“My oldest brother made dinner, and the one younger than him did the dishes,” she kicked her legs slightly.

“What about your da- er, step dad?”

“What about him?” her eyes stabbed into me.

“Or your mom?”

“What about your mom?” she deflected, “I told you my mom was a saleswoman. What did your mom do?”

“Oh! My mom was a receptionist for a five star hotel! It was really cool,” I smiled, “I loved the elevator there, it was big and glass, so you could see the world get smaller.”

“That’s cool.”

“Yeah, she would always take me to the brunch buffet when I was a preteen. I’d have to go alone most of the time, but that meant that I could be alone with that dessert table,” I laughed, and was suddenly hit with a pang of sadness, “Oda… Not to kill the mood, but… Do you think our families are looking for us?”

“They better be,” she bit her lip, “The numbers are dropping.”

“We’ve been here for too long,” I sighed, “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

“We’ve been here for… how many days now?”

“I don’t know. I’ve lost count,” she sighed, “A week? Maybe more.”

“That’s terrifying. It feels like years. I know I’ve definitely gotten older,” I tried to laugh, but thinking about the death I’ve seen, my lifespan had to be shortened.

“Me too,” Oda combed her hand through her hair.

“Hey,” I put my head in my hands, “What color is your hair naturally?”

“Alright,” she helped herself down, “that’s enough talking.”

“What!” I hopped down too, “I just want to be friends! It’s just a question!”

“I’ll change your laundry over later,” she started walking away, “You reminded me, I’ve gotta retouch my hair.”

“Why can’t we just hang out?”

“It used to be blonde. Dirty blonde,” she said, in the doorway of the laundromat, “My dad was Australian. He died when I was young; I had his hair.”

“Oh,” my brow furrowed, “I’m s-”

“Don’t be,” she shook her head, “I just forgot I’m due to make Shun useful.”

“Uh,” I gave a weak wave, “have fun.”

“Sen,” she raised her eyebrows at me, “we’ll hang out more, don’t worry so much.”

It was weird to see her start to melt her icy facade. She exited the building, the door shutting behind her.

A few moments passed, before there was a loud scream.

I ran outside.

Oda and Ami stood outside the stage in front of Shun and Zuzu. I was scared there was a body between them, but as I ran, I slowly started to realize what the scream was.

And excited scream, from Ami.

Because Shun gave Zuzu a makeover.

“Doesn’t he look fantastic?” Shun showcased his masterpiece.

“What’s going o- Wha- Zuzu!” Hibiki ran from behind me, “Wha-”

“I think my new thing is giving everyone little makeovers!” Shun framed his face, “I just toned down the brightness on his dye, gave him a root touch up, slicked his hair back, and shaved the pencil stache… I think he’s lookin’ perfect now.”

Ami whispered to Oda and I, “Look at Hibiki.”

Hibiki was practically glowing. He stared with starry eyes and a slight tint on his cheeks.

“Zuzu you look so handsome!”

“Hey, thanks lil’ bud,” he high-fived him, and said, “Sorry I missed out on us mixin’ some tunes for this, I just really needed my roots done, and we got carried away.”

“No, no, I just counted laps with Takumi!” He took a deep breath before saying, “H- Shun, this-”

“D’you wanna be next, Beeks? My man will hook you up.”

“No,” Oda pushed past Zuzu, “I’m next. You were supposed to retouch my hair day one.”

“It’s true, sorry Hibiki. Maybe tonight?”

“No, I don’t need a transformation! I’m just- I didn’t know Zuzu could look any better!”

“Eyyy,” Zuzu pointed at Hibiki, “My dude knows how to hype a man up.”

Ami snorted.

Azumamaro was dense.

“Now we can go spin some songs,” Zuzu slapped Hibiki’s back, taking him to his equipment setup on the stage.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Hibiki walked to the mainstage with him.

“Hey, come on,” Shun gestured, “Let’s start those roots!”

Oda nodded, and followed Shun backstage.

“So it’s just you and me,” Ami said to me.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Do you want to bake a cake?”

“Wh-”

“Cause I really want you to bake a cake with me.”

And so we did.

Ami and I completely made a mess of the kitchen, baking a cake without a single recipe. It was absolutely underbaked in the middle, and we absolutely ate most of it, without any frosting. It was a fun little thing, and reminded me of things I used to do before camp.

“Hey, I’ve got a gift for you,” I said, digging in my bag, “it’s real weird, but, just take it.” I handed her the nice sports bra.

She laughed, digging at the fudgy cake with her spoon and said, “Sen, this isn’t the weirdest gift I’ve received. Actually,” she held it up to her bust, “it’s useful. Pretty sure it’s my size.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” I nodded at her.

“Man, I should start running again,” she folded the bra.

“You used to run?”

“Oh yeah, every night.”

“Even on work nights?”

“Yeah, because I ate a shit ton at work, after hours. One time, a chef made me this rad ice cream sandwich with two brownies as the bread, and oh my  _ God _ .”

“How did you find time?”

“I usually worked dinners, so I’d get home at like- one? And then I’d run until two, go to bed, and wake up at 10. I hardly got myself to work clopens, where I didn’t have time to run.”

“Clopen?”

“It’s when you close, then open, usually with less than 8 hours between.”

“Oof,” I sighed, “That’s rough.”

“I hated clopening. I managed through them, but boy… I’d be serving drinks to shitty drunks at dinner service, and then mimosas to entitled moms at breakfast. It was bad.”

“Are you glad you kinda have a break?”

“I mean,” she shrugged, “I would’ve liked to vacation with my friends and family. With recollection of our times together. Who knows, maybe we all had a fun camping trip like this, the sixteen of us…”

I sighed, “I feel that. I’m glad I’m not scrambling to weddings nightly… But… I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Exactly.”

Her hand pat the top of mine.

“When we get out of here, will you come to my restaurant?”

“Wha-”

“I’m gonna go back to work, or, well, if Hope’s Peak isn’t standing, that is. I don’t want to lose contact with you, Sen. I want to actually wait you at a table!”

“Ami, I-”

“My restaurant has really great tonkatsu curry! It’s a little on the spicy side, but I think it’s so yummy!”

“I wo-”

“Or if you’re not into meat, we have curry udon. It’s super satisfying and-”

“Ami, I would love to go to your restaurant! But more so, I just wanna hang out with you! After we beat this game, of course I’m going to see you! There’s no way in the world I’d lose contact!”

Ami smiled with the warmth of a radiant sun, and hugged me tight in her arms.

“Sen, you don’t know how much that means to me.”

“I bet I do,” I said back. Ami did mean a lot to me. I was a little saddened that it took Cho’s death for us to become close.

I helped Ami load the dishwasher, and I went to go check on our landry. Ginko was in the laundry room, laying uncomfortably across the dryers.

“Uh, hey Ginko, what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to make myself as uncomfortable as possible,” she shifted, “These dryers shake a lil’, and they’re kinda hot, and pokey with the knobs n’ shit… Sen, I’m fadin’ fast.”

I took my wet clothes out of the washer and moved them to the drier. When doing so, I hummed, “Me too. I think about how… how the 48 hour mark passed, and how… Well, I never wanted to really do all-nighters, and now I’m past what I thought was physically possible.”

“Yeh.”

“But as long as we get through the night, I feel okay in the morning. I mean, I take naps sometimes, but I can get through just as long as I don’t go into my room. So, I’m not really tempted by a bed, you know?”

“Yeh.”

“But you know what’s really nice… I think since we haven’t been able to sleep… I think we’re all getting more comfortable with one another. Which is good in one way… It strays us from, er, playing the game… But I’m scared that we’ll never be able to sleep,” I laughed slightly, “Isn’t it weird that I feel… closer to- Ginko!”

I shouted at Ginko, whose mouth was ajar and her eyes were closed. She let out a little snore right before I shouted her name, and she sneered with her eyes closed, “Fuck off.”

I held her head in my hands, “Ginko! Wake up! The announcement hasn’t-”

“Wh- Fuck!” Ginko’s eyes shot open, bloodshot, “What’re you- Why’re you holdin’ me?”

“ _ Shh! _ ”

“Did I-”

“Shut up!” I squished her cheeks, “There hasn’t been an announc-”

“A sleeper has been discovered!” Rang out of both of our tablets, “Meet in the cabin hall for the punishment! Attendance is mandatory!”

Ginko sat up quick, with her eyes wide open, “No, no, no, fuck! Why did you let me sleep?”

The door slammed open. It was Monokuma.

“Alright, let’s go, the rule has been broken,” he slung a bat against his shoulder.

“What’re you talking about? I’m awake-”

Monokuma played back the audio of me demanding Ginko to wake up, and her groggily snapping out of her sleep.

“Are you spying on us, bear?” Ginko scowled.

“I gotta keep track of everyone! For your safety!”

“For our safety?” I shouted, “You’re wielding a baseball bat!”

“Okay, fine,” he scoffed, “For my sanity!”

“More like for whatever sick show you’re putting on!” I shouted Hibiki’s theory, “Are we, or are we not hostages?” My finger went straight to the camera, “Some sort of sick reality show to broadcast to the world to demonstrate your power you- you- Whoever you are!”

Monokuma threw his head back in laughter, and shouted, “No shit! No wonder your talent isn’t perception, you’re dumb as hell!”

“I’m not-”

“Now get to the wheel, or I’m gonna drag you!” Monokuma pointed the bat at Ginko and I.

We walked to the area of the wheel, Ginko looking more sleepy than ashamed that she failed the rest of us.

Ginko went straight to the table, sitting at the top.

“How long before we die of sleep deprivation?” Shun barked at Monokuma, “You can’t keep punishing us doing what we gotta!”

“I can do whatever the hell I want!”

“No you can’t!” Shun shouted.

“Exactly,” Narumi agreed, panic and sleep deprivation was written entirely on her face, “these are basic human functions Monokuma! You have to let us sleep eventually, or we’ll meet insanity!”

“Kids, as long as people are watching you suffer… And as long as you are suffering, this suffering game will continue!” Monokuma celebrated, “Don’t you get it? The world runs off of despair! Despair transforming into sweet, succulent hope! You are the fuel of the revolution!”

“People are… watching?” Hibiki whispered, “I knew it!”

“Like propaganda,” I looked at him.

“That’s… That’s impossible!” Ami cried, “Who would watch this suffering?”

“How has nobody traced the signal of where this is coming from?” Shun shouted, “He’s bluffing!”

“Come get us, you sick fucks!” Mitsuo shouted at the heavens.

“Monokuma, please, just let us sleep… It’ll be easier for us to function, for us to… to play your game, when our minds aren’t so- Uh, groggy! That’s it!”

“Then why doesn’t someone take a bullet for everyone else and commit a big-ol murder?” Monokuma laughed. He nudged Ginko with the bat, and said, “Hey, punkass, you know what to do.”

Ginko’s fingers dug into her legs out of guilt and she whispered to the rest of us, “I volunteer… Anyone… I’m… I’m too tired to fight anymore.”

“What?” I asked, “Ginko-”

“Hey Gon,” she looked up at Gon, “You’re tired too, right?”

Gon looked like a deer in headlights.

“If you kill me, in front of everyone, we can all go to sleep,” she laughed, no humor in her voice, “Nobody has to get hurt anymore… We can finally see-”

“Ginko, stop!” Narumi shouted, “We’re more prepared for the punishment!”

“Yeah,” Takumi put his hand on her shoulder, “We can brave anything Monokuma throws at us, now that we know what’s going on.”

Ginko looked up, teary.

“You can do it, Ginko,” Oda whispered.

She bit her lip, and put her hand on the wheel. Before she spun, she whispered, “I’m so  _ fucking  _ sorry.”

The wheel made a whirring noise as it spun round and round the holder it was mounted on, but eventually the name was chosen: Noboru.

Noboru smiled, looking almost… Glad it was him. If anyone could take a hit, it was, strangely enough, the little guy. He cracked his neck, tilting his head either way, and then his knuckles. He walked up to Monokuma and said, “Alright bear… Let me have it.”

Monokuma stepped down from the table to the bench, and then bench to the floor, “Okay.” He seemed glad that Noboru was so accepting of his punishment, yet pissed off that we weren’t ostracizing Ginko.

Monokuma wound up the bat, looking as if he were going to hit Noboru in the chest, but right before the wind up released, Monokuma changed his hold of the bat, using it like a baton, and slammed it down and into the side of Noboru’s left leg, breaking it at the knee.

He screamed. Ginko screamed. I screamed.

He crumpled to the floor like an ancient building, screaming in pain. His leg bent outward to the left, definitely broken below the knee.

“It’s fucking broken!” Noboru shouted in disbelief, “It’s fucking broken, you broke my leg.”

“You told me to let you have ‘it’!” Monokuma laughed, “In this case, ‘it’ was a broken shin!”

Oda immediately came to Noboru’s side, holding up his upper body.

“Does anyone have scissors?”

Shun, still wearing a hairdressing apron, handed her a pair.

“Sorry Noboru,” she gruntled, and cut the leg of his suit off at the thigh. She pushed down the detached pant leg, revealing Noboru’s break to be a compound fracture: his bone jutted out of the skin, bleeding. Oda swore, “Does anyone know how to tie a tourniquet?”

Takumi knelt by the leg, nodding at Oda. He looked at Ami, “Gimme your suspenders.”

“My susp-”

“Now!”

Ami threw them to him.

“Oh, oh fuck,” Noboru looked down at his bone, “That’s my leg… That’s  _ my _ leg.”

“Don’t look at it,” she said, putting her hand under his chin and tilting it upward, “Someone get Gurekuma!”

Takumi made his best tourniquet, but mostly, tried to keep Noboru awake.

“Noboru! Noboru, don’t you dare pass out on us!”

The last thing I saw of Noboru that night, was him being wheeled away by the grey bear, Oda and Takumi racing beside her.

**Students Remaining: 12**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Middle of the week update!!!  
> Sorry about no art, I've got a LOT A LOT of homework!!! See you Thursday! Love you all.


	17. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (PART V)

Gurekuma forced both Takumi and Oda out of the nurse’s office, and left us to wait outside, hoping Noboru was okay.

I looked behind me, and saw Ginko quietly talking to Gon. It worried me, considering both of them were losing their grips on reality. I wandered over and tapped Ginko on the shoulder, “Sorry to interrupt.”

Ginko turned around, looking at me with narrowed, tired eyes and asked, “Yeah?”

“Oh, I, uh,” I didn’t really have a plan after this, “I was wondering if you ever got that coffee you wanted.”

“Oh,” Ginko sighed, “Yeah. I think it was decaf.” She laughed, “That, or I’m too far gone to be helped by coffee.”

“Do you wanna… Do you wanna hang out?”

“Uh,” Ginko looked back at Gon, who shrugged at her, “Yeah. Let’s hang out.”

Ginko ended up taking me to the shore again. As I saw her remove her shoes and socks, I knew we were going to wade through the water.

“It’s cold!” I exclaimed, dipping my toes into the washing up water.

“Keeps ya awake, huh?” She smirked at me. She looked exhausted.

“Hey, speaking of,” I turned to my bag on the shore, and pulled out the energy drink, “Do you like energy drinks?”

“Oh fuck,” she held out her arm, “Throw it here!”

I did my best underhand toss. Admittedly, it was very weak. Ginko dove into the water for it, getting the entirety of her freezing cold and wet.

“Oh fuck!” she darted up, “This water is cold!”

“Keeps ya awake, huh?” I mocked her slightly. She made a face at me, which I cheekily smiled at.

“Oh fuck, this is that Big Hill shit?” she cracked the can open, and in awe, I watched her down the whole thing at once.

“S-Slow down! You’re going to get a stomachache!”

She flipped me off and continued with the drink. It was only a few seconds longer that she made a loud, satisfied _ah_ and then paused and made a weird face.

“What, stomach ache?”

Her eyebrows knit together, and then she smiled, and let out a loud burp, “Better.”

I laughed, “I’m glad you liked it.”

“If this thing gets me a minute more of energy, it’ll be worth it,” Ginko, finally giving up, sat down in the shore, getting herself and her clothes completely soaked.

I waded in in my cuffed jeans, and stood beside her, “Aren’t you gonna get a cold?”

“I doubt it,” Ginko splashed some, quite frankly, gross water into her face, “You know, I used to do burping contests with my middle brother all the time?”

“Did you win? That burp was pretty loud.”

“Hell yeah I won,” she laughed, “Akira was always kinda stuffy, so even when we did our contests, he’d try to keep quiet. Except, one time,” she started laughing, “I kept bugging him about being bad, so he downed a cola real fast, went to burp, and ended up throwing up right on the ground!”

“That’s gross!”

“Oh man, it was so hilarious,” she looked up at me, “It was straight soda, no puke chunks or whatever! The shit went out his nose too!”

“Wow, really gross,” I laughed and tugged on her arm, “Let’s get you to the laundry room, I can wrap you up in a towel, or something.”

Together, we walked to the laundry room, and Ginko sat upright on a dryer.

“So your brother, Akira,” I said, folding Oda’s sweater vest, “He also attended Hope’s Peak?”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “get this, Super High School Level School Treasurer.”

“Oh, that’s… fun?”

“It’s the nerdiest goddamn thing I’ve ever heard,” she laughed, “Guy was really good with money, really good with numbers. He was school treasurer in middle school, and he actually was able to organize things like dances on a two-thousand yen budget. It was fun to him.”

“Were the dances fun?”

“He pulled some strings, made them unforgettable.”

“Wow, he seems like a really cool guy.”

“Yeah, after he graduated, he got accepted into a bunch of universities,” she smiled looking proud, “He also was asked to join the ministry of finance.”

“Which did he take?”

“University,” Ginko snorted, “he’s so stuffy, he said that if they wanted him at his best, they’d let him study finance, graduate, and hopefully join later in life. I think he’s going to be the minister of finance in Japan one day… Well, if he’s out there.”

“He is! I promise!”

“Yeah, well… If he’s watching this, hi Akira. I miss you,” she was looking directly into the mounted camera in the laundry room. I looked directly in it as well, feeling the color drain from my face.

“Hey, Sen, is it cool if I take off?” she asked, “I just… This place makes me sleepy. I don’t wanna- I don’t wanna be the cause of someone else getting hurt.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, “no worries.”

She kicked off the dryer, and walked out with the sheet over her shoulders.

I continued folding Oda’s clothes, then moved onto my clothes, then headed out.

I hadn’t even noticed the sun had set while I was folding laundry. The act was so rhythmic, that when I had finished, I didn’t realize how long I’d been there. I saw Hibiki at the main stage, and I approached him.

“Hey Hibiki, wh-”

He yelped and turned around, “Wh- Oh, hey Sen!”

“Oh nothing, I’m just…” he crumbled a paper in his hand, “What are you up to?”

“...Nothing… I just wanted to see what you were doing over here,” I tried to peer behind him, but he turned his body with me, “Where’s Zuzu?”

“Swimming laps with Takumi,” he laughed nervously, “Sen, don’t tell Zuzu.”

“Don’t tell him what?” I squinted at him, “That you’re touching his equipment without him here?”

He relaxed slightly, “Yep! I don’t think… I don’t think he’d _love_ that.”

“I won’t, I just-”

“Noboru!” Hibiki interrupted, and ran past me.

Noboru was there, in a wheelchair, with his leg in a plaster cast. I ran after Hibiki to greet him.

“Thank God you’re okay,” I knelt by him, “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” he shrugged, “The bears got me on a ton of pain meds, but I gotta fight them to stay awake, so that’s making me a little dizzy.”

“Is there anything I can get you?” I asked.

“Yeah! Do you want to come upstairs and- I mean- Uh,” Hibiki swallowed his words as soon as he noticed the only way upstage was the stairs, “Juice?”

“No, it’s fine, really. I’m just going to make myself a cup of tea.”

“How about I join you?” I asked. I knew it would be difficult for a wheelchair bound man to reach the mugs.

“Fine,” he looked at me, looking a little flustered.

I waved goodbye to Hibiki, and wheeled Noboru to the dining hall.

“You know you don’t have to do that, right?”

“What?” I asked, walking.

“Wheel me around,” he said, “My arms work.”

“I know they do!” I said, “I just thought, you should get all the rest you can.”

“The last thing I need is rest,” he chuckled, “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

“It’s gonna have to be something we do,” I frowned, “Unless we get really good at taking turns getting the snot beaten out of us.”

“Maybe we can work out a system.”

“He really went zero-to-sixty on that, didn’t he?” I asked, wheeling him into the dining hall, “What kinda tea do you want, I’ll set you up?”

“Just black tea.”

“Any preferences?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“As long as there’s caffeine in it, I’m good.”

I started a kettle, and sat across him. He leaned into the table and said, “What’d you mean, zero-to-sixty?”

“I just mean… My punishment compared to yours?” I touched up to my bandaged cheek, “They don’t really compare.”

“We’re not here to compare. I think I challenged him, which made him want to go at me harder. Sen, I think there was more heartbreak seeing you get slapped, than seeing my bone sticking through my leg.”

“What! No!”

He raised an eyebrow at me, and then chuckled emptily, “I know I’m not as well liked as you are. I’m just… I’m not a team player. I am a team of me, and if that means that i’m not well liked at camp well,” he cleared his throat, “That’s less heartbreak for me.”

“Don’t say that!” My eyebrows pinned up, “We all like you just fine! I think people are just intimidated by you, is all.”

“Sen, I know what I am. People… don’t warm up to me easy, and I know I don’t make it easy for them…”

“Where’d this come from?”

“I’m _exhausted_ ,” he looked past me, “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on, Shika.”

“Shika?” I asked.

“I’m broken,” he laughed, “Not… Not broken like you. Not perfect and wonderfully broken. Just… Broken.”

I looked into his eyes. He did look broken. His spirit, his soul, his leg.

“Isn’t it strange… They would’ve taken me out back and shot me in the head by now.”

“Wh-”

“But it’s good to be here with you now. I know that fucking bear is going to shake me awake and take me away from you any minute now… And minute now, my life will be over.”

“Noboru.”

“I’m- Well there’s no better word for it, I’m lame.”

“Noboru!” I shouted. The kettle beeped.

He snapped back to reality, his face draining, “Sen- I-”

“Are you okay?” I asked.

He sat with a breath stifled in the back of his throat. He looked at me with panic in his eyes, and then, there alone with me, began to cry.

“Noboru-”

“Please, just leave.”

“Noboru, I-”

“Just leave me be,” he hiccuped, “i just need to be alone.”

“Hey, it’s-”

“Leave!” He shouted, pointing at the door. I felt like there was nothing left I could do. I turned the kettle off, and left the untouched teabag and mug beside them.

Outside, Mitsuo was heading toward the dining hall, I held out a hand and shook my head, “Noboru’s in there… He needs to be alone.”

“Oh,” he looked at me with concerned eyes, “Is he-”

“He’s not,” I shook my head, “but he said he wanted to be alone. In fact, he demanded it.”

“Maybe that’s not what he needs.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

He frowned slightly, and pat his stomach, “I’m hungry though.”

“Stop thinking about your tummy!” I rolled my eyes, “Here. Let's get you a snack at the vending machine. I can probably get you something from there.”

Mitsuo and I wound up in the MonoVENDO machine, desperately trying for a snack. Each inserted coin came with something inedible: tearaway track pants, gold origami paper, and a mirrored sunglasses. Finally, out from the bottom, came a can of American spray cheese.

I tossed it to Mitsuo.

“No way!” he looked at me with stars in his eyes, “They still make this?”

“Why was I hoping you’d be disappointed?”

“Disappointed?” He scoffed, “Have you ever actually tried this? It’s _magic_!” He lopped off the cap, and sprayed an unhealthy amount straight into his mouth.

“That’s _so_ gross.”

“Oh come on Sen,” he leaned into me, “don’t you want some?”

I pushed him playfully. He pushed his finger down on the dispenser, cheese squirting out surprisingly far in a gross, orange ribbon.

“Stop! You’re so gross!”

Mitsuo chased me with the cheese for a good moment, but when we both calmed down, we headed outside, and sat under the stars with one another.

“Hey, Sen?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you’re my friend.” His voice was kind, sincere. He looked back up at the sky after saying this.

“Oh, I’m-”

“Not only in the midst of this game. I’m just… I’m glad a person like you exists in this world, and at the same time as me,” he looked at me in the corner of his eye, “It's weird to think... Out of all the times I could have been born, out of the minutes, hours, days, years... And I was born at the same time as you... Isn't that crazy how time works that way?"

"I suppose so."

"Like, if I were born just a few months earlier, maybe I would be in the grade above you, maybe we wouldn't have gone to school together-"

"Maybe you wouldn't be in the game."

"That's what I'm saying... Like, even if I were to be- If I lost this game, I’m could still be happy that I got to know you… That we could attend camp together. And, if I never get my memory back, I can hope that we were good friends then too.”

“Mitsuo-”

“Wanna know something crazy? I have dreams with you in them,” he smiled at the sky, “Your hair is a little shorter, and you wear it down in every dream. We never talk… No, but you always smile at me. I think it’s my subconscious telling me I love your smile. I guess it’s not really subconscious if I’m saying it out loud, is it?””

I turned bright pink. I thanked the stars for being in a dark night sky, hiding my complexion. He placed his hand over mine, and said, “I hope I get to find out my talent, you know? Not even to be talented... Just to be able to feel on the same level as you... And- er, the others.”

“And the others," I laughed back, "I really hope you do too Mitsuo."

"But really, I hope it impresses you."

"No matter what it is, I'll be excited... And, you know, soon as you find out… I know you’ll change lives,” I said, “Without a doubt in my mind.”

He squeezed my hand, and I couldn’t help but let out a little laugh as butterflies flared in my tummy. Mitsuo was my friend, my best friend.

**Students Remaining: 12**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sen, that's kinda straight...  
> ANyways! The chapter is getting cloSE to an end. Hows that sound? Bad? I know right? This is a short chapter, so sorry about that.  
> I'm having some shit go on in my life right now, so I don't know if there will be an update before next thursday. I'm hoping so, but I can't quite say, because of the unfortunate circumstances I'm in right now.  
> As always, I love you all dearly! Thank you for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos!!! <3 <3 <3


	18. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (PART VI)

Mitsuo and I watched the stars a good portion of the night. We talked about the hopes for our future. He told me if he never found out what he was to be, he’d want to be someone that makes people smile, whatever that could be. 

It wasn’t until I kept hearing the noise of a horrible record scratch, that I had to leave him and go check on what that was.

The third day without sleep was upon us all. We were all slow moving and groggy, except for Zuzu and Hibiki.

Zuzu was teaching Hibiki how to DJ like an ultimate. As I walked toward the stage, Noboru stopped me, and asked, “Can you make them fucking stop?”

His voice must have caught Zuzu’s attention, because he turned to the wheelchair-bound man, and said, “My lil’ dude! I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“I came back last night,” he said plainly.

“I mean, minus the wheels, you’re back to your old self!” Zuzu rejoiced, “I couldn’t be the only jockey around, it’d be lonely.”

“You’re not a fucking jockey,” Noboru gritted his teeth, “Anyways, could you quit the horrible noise?”

“Why, are you trying to sleep?” Zuzu smiled sheepishly.

Noboru looked at him with furious eyes and said, “God I hate you so much.”

“Do you want a hug?” he knelt by his wheelchair, “You’re so pissed off all the time. I think you need a good bro squeeze.”

Awkwardly, I looked at Hibiki, making an uncomfortable face. But he didn’t notice me: instead he looked at Noboru, green in the face.

“Hey, Zu, why don’t you continue with Hibiki. I don’t think Noboru really… uh, wants to be touched right now,” I suggested.

Instead, Zuzu gave me a big bear hug, swung me around, and placed me back down, “Who’m I gonna give a big hug to if not the little guys?”

I looked at Hibiki. His crush was insatiable.

“Hey Beeks?” Zuzu turned around, “You wanna hug?”

Hibiki lit up in his face, but his body stiffened, “Uh! N-No thanks!”

“Aw, come on!”

Zuzu took two big strides up the stairs, and clapped his body to Hibiki’s. Hibiki looked, well, he looked happy, and he requited the hug, wrapping his arms around Zuzu and holding tight for just a moment.

“What does the podcaster even  _ see  _ in that douchebag?” Noboru shook his head.

“Zuzu’s… He’s nice. And genuine. He’s not too deep and- You know, I have no clue,” I laughed slightly, and then I looked at him, “Are you okay?”

“What do you-”

“You called me by a different name… Who’s-”

“Don’t say it,” he interrupted, “I’m just delusional. I’m on meds that I have to fight because they made me tired. You remind me of her, that’s it.”

“Who is she?”

“Someone I love,” he sighed, “Someone I miss.”

“So,” I tried to lighten the mood, “You cheated at never have I ever?”

He looked up at me with an embarrassed smile on his goofy face, “I guess I did.”

I gave him a pat on the shoulder and he held my hand there a minute, “It’s a compliment, by the way. You’re not her, I know you aren’t. But she’s the best damn person in my life, and if you remind me of her, well- You’ve got her caring soul.”

“Do you need me to get you anywhere?”

“I can manage,” he began to wheel away, “See you Sen.”

I didn’t know what to do with my time, so I went to the pool to see if Takumi was there.

I opened the door to see the pool room empty. I shrugged, cuffed my jeans, and stuck my feet in.

“Hey Sen!” A voice yelled. I jumped at it, almost cartoonishly.

“Oh, didn’t mean to scare you!” he laughed.

I looked around. No person in sight.

“Up here silly!”

I looked up to see Takumi in his olympic swimsuit and swim cap. He waved at me, and then shouted, “Wanna see a cool dive I’ve been working on?”

I accepted the offer, and he turned around.

What he did, I could hardly comprehend. It was a backflip that turned into some sort of side spin, then he hugged his legs, but didn’t have time to straighten out, and landed in the water butt first.

He came back up with a grimace on his face, and I clapped.

“Why are you clapping?” he asked, “That was horrible!”

“It looked nice!”

“I just got a spanked bottom,” he slapped the water and laughed. Takumi swam over to the edge by me and rested his chin against his arms, “What’re you up to?”

“Oh, I just wanted to hang out with you!” I smiled, “We haven’t really gotten any alone time since… being forced here! So I just wanted to see what you were up to.”

“Oh!” he hoisted himself over the edge, “Let me get changed, and we can hang! Do you wanna eat some food- What time is it?”

“I don’t actually know,” I shrugged, “The sun just rose-”

“It’s sunrise!” he gasped and looked at his pruney fingers, “God I’ve been practicing that dive for hours! Let me get dress- Shit.”

“What?”

“I don’t have any pants.”

“Oh, uh,” I laughed, “I actually have a pair, if you’d like them.”

“I don’t think I’d fit your pants Sen,” he laughed, but I handed him the tearaway track pants.

“Keep ‘em,” I laughed, “They’re really fun.”

He held them up, then looked at me, “No way, these are-” He slipped them on, and tugged forward at the waist, sending the buttons down the side seams of the pants open, “Holy shit!” He hugged me.

I squirmed slightly in his arms, very uncomfortable with how much of his bare body was touching me. He spent a minute buttoning them back up, and then slipping them back on.

“You know how tempted I am to rip them off again?” he laughed.

“Very,” I shrugged.

“Hey, meet me outside. I still gotta get in the locker room to put on my shirt.”

“Wait, did you just walk here in your speedo, shirt, and nothing else.”

“Hell yeah,” he nodded at me, “Okay, be right back.”

Takumi got dressed, and we headed to the dining hall where he made us instant noodles.

We sat in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil, when he said, “Do you know what sounds good?”

“What?”

“Watermelon,” he opened the large fridge, “Oh shit!” He held a small melon in his arm, “Do you think you can cut it up?”

“Yeah! I used to do this all the time! My mom actually taught me that cutting a watermelon into spears is more efficient than cutting it into wedges! Isn’t that neat?”

He nodded eagerly, then added, “I don’t think I’ve ever had it in spears?”

“Oh well you will no-” I reached for the knife to cut the watermelon, when my whole body froze. I was face to face with the kitchen block, the knives were a whole set once more, and the knife that Cho wielded, the knife that ended Joben’s life, was near my grasp.

“You okay?” Takumi’s eyebrows pinned up. His eyes followed my line of vision and he frowned, “Oh.”

“I…” I looked at him, “I’m not hungry.”

“C’mon,” he put his hands on my shoulders, “We don’t need melon.”

“No, I can- Which knife was it?”

“Uh,” he picked up the first knife he checked, “This one.”

I opened up the trash can, and put the knife in, “We don’t need this one anymore- I mean, at this point it’s gotta be unsanitary, right?”

Takumi laughed, in agreement. 

As I cut up the watermelon into spears, he let our noodles sit in the hot water. Once I was done, I set them on a tray, and Takumi put our noodles into bowls.

Together we ate at the table, and in between bites, he said, “Do you know what’s weird? I’m not even… scared of getting uh… Killed.”

“What?”

“I don’t think anyone left in the game has it in them. I think we’re all getting to the point of exhaustion where even if someone tried… They could be stopped.”

“That’s kinda a scary way of thinking about it,” I admitted, “Scary, but true.”

“I think as long as we can take turns-”

“You think we should just accept punishment?”

“It’s better than getting killed,” he slurped up a bite of noodles, “Hopefully there’s no repeats when it comes to the wheel.”

“I hope the punishments don’t get worse,” I yawned, “I wonder who will be the next to fall asleep. I’m scared it’ll be me.”

“Nobody’s gonna blame you though,” Takumi shoveled more food into his mouth, “It’s not like only one of us is tired.”

“Hey,” I lifted my head up, “I gotta question.”

“Shoot.”

“What’s with you and boats?”

Takumi shuttered, “I hate them. They’re horrible. Every hear of The Titanic?”

“Obviously,” I rolled my eyes, “but what does that have to do with you?”

“The ocean is unforgiving. It’s not like the air, or the land, you know? It can fill your lungs, and completely smother you! It’s got pull with the moon! It’s crazy! Why would we every try to tame it!”

“So you’ve got respect for the water, then?”

“Of course,” he leaned back in his chair, “I love the water. I fear it. Isn’t that respect?”

“So did your love of the water get you into diving?”

“More like diving made me fall in love with the water. You know, I fall into the water over and over again and she holds me, cradles me, allows me to push myself out of her. But other times, I slam into her and she knocks the air out of me and makes me sink. You know… She makes the rules… Not me.”

“You keep saying she… Do you have a crush on the water?” I teased.

He shook his head, smiling bashfully, “No she’s- It’s just water. I just find comfort in it. So… Yeah, it makes me feel good when I say her.”

“That’s cute!”

“And anyways, I don’t have a crush on her,” he laughed, “she’s my girlfriend.”

“Wow I can’t believe Takumi’s claimed all of H2O.”

He took a loud slurp of his broth, and then winked at me.

“Gross,” I laughed.

Takumi was a fun guy. I was glad to have spent any time with him.

After we ate, he excused himself to the shower and I realized that I should do the same. The shower was nice, soothing, something so warm and comforting that I could’ve fell asleep.

Actually, I was so tired that I could see myself falling asleep on anything remotely vertical.

After my shower, I dressed myself and walked outside to Zuzu cheering Hibiki on, and Hibiki still horribly scratching away at vinyl records.

“Go my lil’ man!” Zuzu shouted. I came up beside him.

He turned to me, “Man, isn’t he gettin’ so good at this?”

I tried not to cringe. “Of course! Mind if I sit and watch?”

“Actually, Beeks was tellin’ me about the library yearbook thingy, and I was gonna go check that out. Wanna come with?”

“Oh, uh, sure!”

“Beeks, you ready?”

“Actually, I’m gonna hang back here and practice, is that cool?” Hibiki shivered.

“You cold?” Zuzu asked. He took his large green hoodie off, “Give it back to me later, ya dig?”

“Oh, you don’t, uh-” Zuzu threw the sweater at Hibiki, who just said, “Thanks,” as it draped over his head.

Zuzu and I took the 20 minute hike to the library. We didn’t talk, he just played music out of an mp3 player aloud.

Once we got to the library, he asked Gurekuma for the book. She, though reluctant, retrieved it for us.

“How is your face feeling Sen?”

“My f- Oh,” my fingers touched the bandage at my cheek, “It doesn’t hurt. I haven’t changed the bandage, is that okay?”

“Does it feel tender or hot to the touch?”

“No.”

“Then you should be alright. We can change it tonight if you’d like.”

“Thank you,” I smiled, and Zuzu slung his arm over my shoulder.

“Let's check ourselves out, right?”

Zuzu and I reviewed the book, though surprisingly, we only looked at our classmates that had passed.

“Do you know what was cool about Joben?” Zuzu asked.

“What?”

“He didn’t give a shit,” he smiled, “Yeah, he was a fucking douche, but he never pulled any punches. He told everyone how he felt, when he felt it. Don’t you think that was kinda, I dunno, chill?”

“I suppose,” I said, looking at him posing next to a bookshelf. For some reason, I had an overwhelming feeling in my chest. The weirdest thing was, he was nice to me. Was I the only one? I turned the page, and it was Ami on roller skates, “He was really mean to Ami though.”

“Never said he was a good person,” Zuzu’s eyebrows raised, “I’m just sayin’ he’s straight.”

I turned the page once more, and Takumi’s picture appeared. Zuzu lit up, “My duuuude.”

“Yeah! You, Hibiki, and Takumi became friends really fast. Why do you think that is?”

“You know,” his eyebrows knit together, “I don’t even think it’s that before-all-this-feeling. I think we’re just- I dunno, compatible? Takumi’s the kinda guy that tells funny jokes and always laughs at your shit. And Beeks? He’s my hype man. He’s always tellin’ everyone that I’m fuckin’ dope. It’s a real confidence booster.”

I couldn’t believe how oblivious Zuzu was.

“Yeah, Hibiki… Thinks your great.”

“Dude, he’s like- Puttin a good word in for the ladies,” he leaned back in his chair, “Like when he was tellin’ you and Ami and Oda how handsome I looked? Man, didn’t that make you swoon a lil’?”

I laughed, “Sure.” Zuzu’s  _ remaster _ was nothing short of miraculous.

“Do you like the way you look now?” I asked.

“Hell yeah! Shun did me right. I miss my stache though.”

“You can grow a new one.”

“Man, I hope I’m not here for two months,” he frowned, “That’s how long it took to grow!” He turned the page to a spread of him at some turntables. His hair was highlighter pink, and he didn’t have his moustache. “Now this,” he pointed to the picture of himself, “is whack.”

“Why?” I scanned the picture. Other than the pink hair, he didn’t look much different.

“Do you  _ see  _ what I’m wearing?” he pointed to his black shirt, “DJ Green Rhythm is all about the neon colors! I hit it with the pink, but, uh,” he tapped the shirt, “this ruins my whole vibe.”

“Hey, I guess you lied about never dying your hair pink.”

“I wasn’t lying,” he raised an eyebrow at me, “I just… didn’t remember.”

“We don’t remember a lot.”

“Poor Mits,” Zuzu frowned, “I don’t know what I’d do without my talent. I bet he’s strugglin’.”

“Not too bad,” I said, “It won’t be the end of the world. He’s got all of us, after all. We’ll love him: talent or no talent.”

Zuzu bit his lip and raised an eyebrow at me, “Oh you got  _ lurv _ on the mind, Senny-pants?”

“Oh shut up,” I crossed my arms, “I just meant we’ll support him.”

“Speakin’ of,” Zuzu flipped through the pages, “I’m not seein’ your boy.”

I took the book, and flipped through. Gurekuma walked by, and stopped at our table, “If you’re looking for the blue haired boy, he’s not in the book. His page has been ripped out.”

“Ripped out?” I asked, “By whom?”

“Big brother!” she explained, “I guess he didn’t want him to see pictures of his past. When the boy came back to look for himself, he cried, right here in the library.”

“Oh, poor Mitsuo,” I frowned.

Zuzu had a look of trouble on his face.

“What are you thinking?”

“I- Sen, I’ma say something… Maybe you’ll get a bit butthurt over… But… What if Mitsuo is the mastermind?”

“Mastermind?”

“The mastermind! The big cheese? The jerk behind all of this?”

“I don’t understand.”

“What if he’s… What if he’s faking it? Making Monokuma do shit to deliberately hide the fact that he’s not one of us. Maybe he’s not even a student at all!”

“Don’t- Don’t say that!”

“Sen, think about it,” he leaned in close to me, “There’s no better view of the party than from the main stage, you know?”

“Zuzu, really, spend some time with him,” I put my hand over Zu’s, “Just a second of knowing him would answer that… That… That Mitsuo could never hurt anyone.”

Zuzu stood, and closed the book in his hand, “Man, Sen, I’m not saying it’s for certain or nothin’, I’m just saying… Maybe don’t be alone with him too often.” Zuzu walked with the book to the front of the library, shouting, “Yo Gure! Can I check this out?”

I wouldn’t even entertain the idea that Mitsuo was the mastermind. We didn’t even know if someone was a mastermind… Everyone was my friend.

I sat in the library alone a long while, first reading for an hour or so, then just thinking about everything. Thought flooded to me, coming and going like the waves of the ocean: our friends, our dreams, our mysterious forgotten past. A smooth rhythm in my breath pushed and pulled on my chest gently. I rested my head on the table, if only for a moment. Even with my spine curved in the most unhealthy of ways, the gentle hug of sleep crept upon me.

When my eyes reopened, suddenly and in a panic, it was the pitch black of night.

 

** Students Remaining: 12 **  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! The end of this chapter is near mwahahahahahahaha  
> I love you all, please let me what you think! I'm also in need of FTE's, as always! <3 <3 <3


	19. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (PART VII)

“Gurekuma,” I stood. The library was dark. Drool pooled on the table and stuck to the side of my cheek, “Gurekuma?”

There was no response.

“M-Monokuma?” I was reluctant to call out his name.

He did not come.

I took slow, cautious steps, aware that the black and white bear was going to pop out at any minute and drag to me to the cabins where I’d have to hurt a friend. I swallowed, hard.

_ Did he… really not see me?  _ I thought. I looked up at the ceiling for the cameras that hung of the ceiling of the library. They all pointed away from the table I was at.

“Holy shit… I- I found a safe place,” I said aloud, to nobody. I weighed whether I should turn around and return to sleep, or tell somebody, anybody, just so they could sleep too.

It weighed in favor of telling Ginko, Noboru, and Gon, three people who needed sleep the most.

I ran. I ran alone through the forest, running off of adrenaline and pure, unadulterated hope. My legs carried me fast, faster than I could’ve imagined. I didn’t care about the dar, or the monsters, or anything. I just cared about everyone else.

The campground looked empty as I stumbled upon it. Oda walked by herself with a can of coffee toward the locker room. She looked at me, and said, “Whoa, why are you running?”

“Oda, I-” my chest heaved, “I have wonderful news!”

“What?” she approached me, and lowered her voice to practically nothing, “Did you find a way out?”

“No,” I exhaled, then leaned into her ear, “I found a place to sleep.”

“ _ What _ ?”

“All the cameras look away from it,” I explained, “Monokuma won’t know.”

“That’s amazing Sen! Did you-”

“What’re you ladies talkin’ about?” Shun approached, “Ooh, Oda, where’d you get that can of coffee?”

Oda leaned into Shun and his eyes lit up as she whispered.

Shun mouthed,  _ No way _ .

I nodded eagerly.

“Those cameras totally rotate!”

I shrugged, whispering, “I did it though.”

“We gotta tell Ginko,” he whispered, “She needs sleep.”

“Where is she?” I asked.

“She’s in her room, I think she’s showering,” Shun grabbed both Oda and my hands, “Let’s go!”

From the trailhead, Shun, Oda, and I walked toward Ginko’s room in the cabin hall. 

Zuzu was at his DJ table at the front center of the stage. He was slumped, defeated by creative block, and his head was rested against the table. His hood was illuminated by the various glowing knobs and sliders in the darkness of the night. I’d seen him do it before.

“Zu, man,” Shun called, “You’re gonna fall asleep if you slump over like tha-”

“Attention everyone! A body has been discovered! Please head to the main stage,” our tablet interrupted Shun’s sentence.

We stopped, a chill ran through us, as we looked around. There wasn’t anyone but Zuzu, slumped over by the illuminated lights.

“No,” Shun jumped up on the stage, “No, no, no.”

His hands clapped against Zuzu’s shoulders and he shook him, “Zu, wake up!” He pulled him back, looking into his face, and paused.

“Oh fuck.”

Oda and I crept up the stairs, “What?”

He straightened up, still holding the shoulders of the body, to reveal that it was not Zuzu slumped over: it was Hibiki.

“Oh no,” Oda whispered. I gasped, at a loss for words.

The first person there was Gon, wheeling Noboru in front of him, who stepped up the stairs. One by one, we gathered. Zuzu had come from the gazebo, and he stood a ways away from the stage.

We were crowded around the DJ booth when Zuzu ran up. Behind him trudged Ginko. They looked at one another and Shun called back, “It’s… Hibiki.”

Zuzu looked crestfallen. He didn’t know how to react. He said nothing, made no face, turned around, and walked away.

“Zuzu-” Narumi shouted.

“Don’t  _ fucking  _ follow me,” Zuzu called back. He walked to the end of the dock, and sat there.

“What a loser,” Monokuma appeared beside us.

“Shut up!” Takumi shouted, “Shut up! This is your fault!”

“Nuh uh!” Monokuma crossed his arm, “It’s the murderer’s fault! You brats thought sleep was more important than poor Hibiki… How sad!”

Narumi held Takumi by the arm gently, “He’s provoking you.”

Tears streamed down Takumi’s face, “I don’t care! He needs to know he’s a piece of shit bear! The worst fucking thing in the world!”

“I’m not provoking nobody,” Monokuma handed Gon the Monokuma file, “I’m here to bring this: The Monokuma File!”

Gon handed the Monokuma File off to Ami, “My eyes are too blurry to even read.”

Ami unlocked the electronic tablet and read aloud: “ _ The victim is Hibiki Ueno, the Super High School Level Podcaster. The victim’s body was found at the Main Stage. The estimated time of death is 7:13 PM. The victim was strangled, ultimately dying due to asphyxia. Pre-mortem, the victim sustained a broken nose and ruptured eardrums.” _

I always hated the  **Monokuma file.**

“Can we get a light on?” Oda asked Monokuma. Monokuma nodded, and turned the floodlights on, lighting up Hibiki’s deceased form.

“I can help investigate,” Noboru said from below the stairs, “if someone can help me up.”

“Oh shit, uh,” Shun looked at Gon, “Doctor, can you help?”

Gon nodded, and they helped carry Noboru in his wheelchair up the stairs and on the stage. He wheeled himself over to the body and frowned, “It was Hibiki?”

I approached Hibiki’s body. His eyes were dulled, but panicked. Fuschia blood streamed out of his wrinkled nose, and tight around his neck was  **the chord of his headphones.**

“So he was strangled with these headphones?” Oda whispered beside me.

“Likely,” Mitsuo came up beside us, “But his nose was broken too.”

“And broken painfully,” I added, “I mean, look how bloody it is. His nose is just about smashed!” It wasn’t just broken, he had a  **pulverized nose** **_._ **

“The headphones are still on his ears too,” Oda pulled the  **on headphones** off his ears, to reveal that there was  **blood in his ears** . 

“Oh fuck,” she said, “Ruptured eardrums.”

I bit my lip. This wasn’t even the bloodiest crime scene, but something about it made my skin crawl. I looked down at the soundboard, and there were  **cracked buttons and dials** , as well as  **blood spatter at the knobs** .

“Look at this,” Mitsuo pointed at a sliding knob, “The volume is turned all the way down.”

“So the killer must’ve messed with the  **volume knob** .”

“Hey guys,” Ginko said, kneeling at the stairs, “I found this!” She held up two fingers, coated in  **white dust** . We all knelt beside her.

“It’s a… white dust?” Ginko said, rubbing it between her fingers.

“Maybe ash?” Ami rubbed it between her fingers.

“Yeah, or chalk,” Ginko agreed.

Mitsuo, still standing beside Hibiki’s body, whispered my name. I looked at him. He nodded his head toward himself. I walked over, and Mitsuo held Hibiki’s head back. He whispered, “There’s something  _ big _ shoved in his mouth.”

“What?”

“Should I- Should I pull it out?”

“Uh,” I swallowed, “I guess?”

“Can you, uh, hold him?”

I obeyed, holding Hibiki’s head up. Mitsuo’s fingers pinched just behind his teeth, pulling out a  **balled up sock** that had been shoved into his mouth. 

“Oh fuck,” Mitsuo swore aloud.

“What?” a voice said from below the stage. It was Zuzu. He looked stony; more angry than sad.

“There was a sock balled up in his mouth,” Mitsuo held the sock with his pointer finger and thumb.

Zuzu climbed up on stage.

I gently let Hibiki slump over on the turntable again, when a  **small notecard** caught my eye. On the top line, scribbled in Hibiki’s handwriting was  _ Poem For Azumamaro. _

I snatched it quickly, and shoved it in my pocket. It couldn’t be evidence, and I didn’t want Hibiki’s unreciprocated crush to be found out.

“And you found him just like this?” Zuzu asked.

“Yeah,” I frowned, “Actually, we thought it was you… His hood was up, and it covered his face.” The  **hood over Hibiki’s face** actually fooled all three of us, who discovered the bodies.

“But it turned out to be so much worse, huh?” Zuzu swallowed, “This is so fucked up… You know? Like, outta all the people here, Hibiki was the least likely to do anyone harm.”

That sentence struck a chord with me. Hibiki predicted he was prey to the game. I hoped he wasn’t right about everyone else.

“I’m gonna keep investigating here,” Mitsuo said, “But you wanna start collecting alibis?”

“Smart,” I nodded at him, “but uh, how about you- Not that I think that you did it… I just don’t wanna seem biased.”

Zuzu side eyed me, hard.

“At 7? Oh, hm… I think I was reading in a tent over in the new section of the camp.”

“Were you with anyone?”

“No,” he shook his head solemnly. I huffed at  **Mitsuo’s account** .

“How about you Zuzu?”

Zuzu looked a little offended by me even asking, “I- Why would I ever-?”

“I don’t think you would,” I said, “it’s just good to know where you were.”

“I checked out the book at 6:15… So… I must’ve been in the gazebo, looking at the yearbook,” he bit his lip, “I got there around 7.”

“Okay… That helps. Thank you Zuzu.”  **Zuzu’s account,** though not watertight, was good enough for me.

**My account** was that I was reading in the library by that time. Maybe even drifting into sleep. I was too far away to have committed the crime.

I approached Takumi, who frowned at me. His hair was still dripping wet from swimming, assumingly.

“Hey, how’re you holding up?”

“I feel awful,” Takumi sniffed, “I don’t- I’m fucking tired. I can’t wait to bag the asshole that did this to Hibiki, and get a good night’s sleep.”

“I agree,” I frowned, “Hibiki will get justice, I promise.”

“I’m guessing you’re gonna ask us where we were?” Ami chimed in, “Cause we were swimming together.”

“We’ve been swimming since 5,” Takumi added, “Right up until the announcement.”

**Takumi’s account** was solid, and he had an alibi.

I checked up on  **Oda’s account** : she, Ginko, Shun, and Narumi were eating popcorn in the chapel.

I approached Noboru, who was staring off into space.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Shi…”

“It’s me, Sen,” I said, clearly.

He snapped back to reality, “Oh, sorry Sen… I’m just… tired.”

“Hey, don’t worry,” I was bent over, unintentionally condescending him, “How are you feeling?”

“Whacked out,” he blinked, “I just want to sleep.”

“I just need your alibi… Then maybe you can close your eyes a little.”

“Other than the fact that I’m in a wheelchair?” It was true:  **Noboru’s wheelchair** meant he couldn’t get up on stage without help. 

“O- Oh I’m sorry- You’re right-”

“No, it’s fine,” he shook his head, “I was in the dining hall drinking tea. I’ve been there all night.”

“But you were alone?” I asked. He nodded. That was  **Noboru’s account.**

“I can’t believe I didn’t even hear any screams,” he shook his head, “But I guess I’m so spaced out on pain pills that… Well, I just kinda lose myself. They’re helping though. I can’t feel my leg.”

“That’s okay,” I put my hand on his shoulder, “You’re not to fault.” I forgot how loopy Noboru’s pills made him, but at least they blocked all pain.

Oda came up beside me and rested her hand on my shoulder, “Hey Sen, you were sleeping in the library?”

“I must’ve fell asleep right when…  _ it _ happened.”

“That’s… Well, that’s lucky in the worst way,” she leaned into me and whispered, “Everyone’s falling apart… Do you think Monokuma’s dooming us with this trial? How are we going to debate with such little sleep?”

“I think he’s trying to doom us with every move he makes,” I replied, “but we keep proving him wrong. That’s all we gotta do.”

Oda nodded at me with a slight smile on her lips.

“Hey,” Monokuma crawled out from whatever hellhole he spawned from, “I’m tired, how about we start this trial up?”

“We’re all tired,” Ginko said, “Mostly of your shit.”

“Once we solve this trial, do we get to sleep?” Shun asked.

“Why don’t we focus on the actual trial,” Zuzu shouted.

“Yeah, let’s focus on the trial!” Takumi agreed.

“Okay! Let’s focus on the trial!” Monokuma agreed, “Everyone to the chapel!”

“Wait, no that’s not-”

“ _ Ah-zt! _ ” Monokuma buzzed, “I’m just following the ordered of Hibiki’s  _ best friends _ . Everyone to the chapel!”

“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” Oda cracked her knuckles.

“I don’t think that’s ready enough,” Mitsuo whispered to me.

“I think we have to be,” was all I could respond.

Gon and Shun helped Noboru down from the stage, and we all walked away… Well, all but Zuzu. Zuzu stood for a moment, took off Hibiki’s glasses, and shut his eyes for him. He gave him a friendly pat on the back and croaked, “See you on the other side Beeks.”

We walked together, silently approaching the room of death. There were only eleven of us left, and by bedtime, it would be ten. The feeling that gave me made me feel as if I were made of lead.

Walking over, I felt cold fingers entangle mine. I wasn’t paying enough attention, at first, to immediately know they were Mitsuo’s. He looked at me as I finally realized and whispered, “It’s all going to be okay, Sen.”

I swallowed, only thinking about what Zuzu said to me.

I squeezed his hand hard.

The chapel was a nice building, despite what it lead to. Despite my talent, I wasn’t one to worship, but I could see myself getting introspective there. Hell, I could see myself falling asleep in the pews, but that didn’t mean much, because at that point, I could see myself falling asleep on a bed of broken glass.

I went into confession after Oda, and Mitsuo came in immediately after me. Oda looked at him with uncertain eyes, and then looked at me. I think she was scanning her suspects. I hoped I wasn’t one.

“Hey, Sen,” Mitsuo whispered to me.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Lead us home like you always do,” Mitsuo offered words up support, “You’ll get through this trial just fine, okay?”

It was hard to believe that, at one point, fifteen of us entered to elevator underground. I didn’t count how many days we’d been at camp, but the strong feeling of death outnumbered lifetimes.

Gon pressed the button labeled  _ Trial Floor,  _ and down we went.

Again, we stumbled into the velvet room, more tired of death, and tired of living than we’d ever been. Monokuma sat proudly on his throne, and Gurekuma slept in the bathtub.

My eyes immediately went to Hibiki’s sweet portrait. To see a bloody X placed over his smiling face felt criminal. The X for whomever murdered Hibiki… Well, it felt deserved.

“Everyone,  _ shhhh _ ,” Monokuma whispered, “My baby sister is sleeping.”

“Are you serious?” Noboru’s eyebrows knit together.

Monokuma let out a cackle that was louder than any other, “No! I don’t care about Gurekuma’s sleep schedule!”

“You’re so mean to me!” Gurekuma cried.

“Is every kiddie ready?” Monokuma asked, “Let’s get started!”

I took a deep breath in, and a loud exhale out. I felt like no amount of sleep would make me feel rested. Even if I was awake in despair, no amount of hope’s sleep would calm me from this killing game.

It was the time for a deadly class trial.

**Students Remaining: 11**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no bye Hibiki!  
> Sorry that this is SUCH a short chapter. I might update Sunday or Monday if I have the means to, because of how short this is. If not, you'll get the trial thursday as always.  
> I love you all! Thanks for reading, shoot me a comment if you read this or read anything or if you like dogs ;0


	20. Chapter Three: Despair is in the Eyes of the Beholder (CLASS TRIAL)

“Man,” Monokuma stretched in his chair, “I’m so glad we’re here again. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I was practically  _ itchin _ ’ for one of you to kill! I was scared I was going to start cutting fingers off when you shits fell asleep!”

“You  _ broke _ my leg!” Noboru shouted.

“Oh shut up!” Monokuma shouted back, “You’re still in once piece!” He held his paw up to covered Noboru in his line of sight. He continued, “Just a quick rundown. Majority vote will determine the result. If the majority can figure out ‘whodunnit’, then they will be punished. But if you can’t figure it out, I’ll punish everyone  _ besides _ the blackened. Sounds good?”

“We already know how to do this,” Shun said, “Just because we don’t want to doesn’t mean we don’t know how to.”

“Let’s start,” Ginko said, taking the reins, “Hibiki Ueno was murdered at the main stage in the main part of camp.”

“Remind me the cause of death,” Takumi said.

“Suffocation,” Oda replied.

“Yeah,” Mitsuo said, “He was strangled to death.”

“But not only was he strangled, his nose was also broken!” Narumi pointed out.

“If his nose was broken, doesn’t that mean the assailant took a frontal form of attack?” Ami gestured a punch, “A punch in the face, then hands around the neck?”

“No, that’s wrong,” I replied, “Hibiki wasn’t strangled by hands. The  **chord to his headphones** were wrapped around his neck. It was likely that that’s what choked him to death.”

“There’s another reason Hibiki was likely not attacked from the front,” Oda pointed.

She was right.

“Oh yeah, the **blood on the soundboard** ,” I said.

Zuzu looked like he was going to throw up, “Yeah, there was a ton of blood all over the place.”

“Specifically on the soundboard. Not only was there blood, but **cracked buttons** ,” Oda said, “Meaning the assailant came up from behind, and slammed Hibiki’s head into the soundboard until his nose was completely destroyed.”

“So Hibiki didn’t even get to see his killer?” Zuzu asked.

“No,” Mitsuo shook his head, “It was probably all a big surprise to him.”

“ _ Fuck, _ ” Zuzu’s voice quivered. 

“So we’ve got how it was done,” Takumi said, “But that doesn’t get us anywhere.”

“Well… We have to go over everyone with an alibi,” Narumi said, “I was with Oda, Shun, and Ginko at the time of the murder.” That was  **Oda’s account:** it was good to see it matched up with someone else’s.

“And I was with Takumi, swimming,” Ami repeated  **her account.**

“But it seems the rest of us don’t have alibis,” Mitsuo pointed out.

“No, we don’t,” Zuzu said, “The closest thing I got was I checked out a book forty-five minutes before the murder.”

“Zuzu, check out a book?” Shun teased, “What’re you reading?”

“The book with all the pictures of us in it,” Zuzu replied, “I think it gives way to who the fuck is behind alla this.”

“Behind all of this?” Ami asked.

“It’s not important,” I interrupted, “What is important is bringing Hibiki’s murderer to justice.”

“That’s right,” Takumi said, “So we’ve covered everything in  **The Monokuma File** , right?”

“No,” I shook my head, “We’re missing one thing.”

I remembered back to the monokuma file: Hibiki was strangled, had a broken nose, and ruptured eardrums.

“His eardrums were ruptured,” I said, “before his death, according to the monokuma file.”

“Ruptured eardrums?” Ginko asked, “That doesn’t really seem that important. I mean, how could we even tell, without looking at the Monokuma File?”

“There was  **blood in his ears** ,” Oda said.

“Hold on,” Shun asked, “How long had Hibiki been at that DJ booth?”

“Oh at least all day?” I looked at Zuzu, who nodded.

“Then how can we prove that he didn’t just blow out his eardrums fuckin’ with this shit all day?”

“Because-”

“Is it just cause the Monokuma File says so?”

“No, it-”

“Because we can’t trust everything that document says. If Noboru were to have died, it would probably said broken leg before death. If you were to have died, it would say gashed cheek before death. I think we’re lookin’ at unimportant details!”

“Think about it Shun,” I said, “Isn’t there an advantage to blowing out your victim’s eardrums before killing them?”

“No! Hibiki was kinda dumb, all he wanted was to make music like his boyfriend! So maybe he thought he could listen at the same volume and fucked up his eardrum!”

“No, that’s not it…” I said, but I couldn’t quite put together what I wanted to say.

The reason the killer wanted to blow out Hibiki’s eardrums before the attack was because it would… surprise him.

“That’s it!” I whispered.

“What’s it?” Mitsuo asked.

“A good reason the killer wanted to deafen Hibiki would be the killer wanted to surprise him. If he was so shocked by the fact that loud music just made him go deaf-”

“Then he’d have no time to react!” Mitsuo finished my sentence.

“That still doesn’t lead us to who the killer is!” Takumi pointed out, “So what, the killer wanted to shock and confuse Hibiki before he died, but that tells us nothing.”

“Or… It tells us of someone who knows how to use the board,” Gon said, “And the only two who know-”

“Takumi and Zuzu,” Ami replied, “And Takumi was with me, so…”

“Are you really pinning this on me?” Zuzu asked, “There’s a slider that fuckin’ says  _ volume  _ on it!”

“Come to think of it,” Mitsuo asked, “Where were you at the time of the murder?”

“I was in the gazebo!” Zuzu barked, “Playin’ some tunes and lookin’ at pictures of our first year!”

“Really,” Mitsuo’s eyebrows pinned together, “Because I didn’t hear any music. I was in a tent over there.”

“Oh, what a fuckin’ coincidence!” Zuzu spat, his eyes narrowing.

“We’re not blaming you Zuzu-” I said.

“But we need to figure out who did it,” Mitsuo said to me, “So we can’t go easy on anyone, friend or foe.”

“Mitsuo-”

“I know what you are, Mitsuo.”

Mitsuo looked shocked, “What I am? Are you saying  _ I  _ did it?”

“I’m saying-”

“Wait!” I interrupted, “There’s another reason why I don’t think Zuzu did it!”

“Other than the fact that Beek was my  _ friend _ ?”

“We’re all friends here,” Gon said, “This is a system where relationships don’t matter anymore.”

“You’re one to say,” Ginko looked at him, anger in her eyes.

“I don’t think Zuzu did it… because the killer thought the victim was Zuzu.”

“What?” Noboru asked, “But everyone knew that the kid was borrowing the equipment, right?”

“Maybe,” I said, “but I think a better idea is the killer went after Hibiki, thinking he was Zuzu. Think about it, Shun. You remember what you first said when you saw the body, right?”

Shun paused, and nodded, “I thought it was Zuzu, I told him not to fall asleep.”

“And up until we actually shook the body, we thought it was him. And why do you think that is?”

“ **His face was completely covered by the hood** .” 

“Bingo,” I replied, “I mean, think about Hibiki. He’s small, and kind of weak. Pretty much anyone here could probably take him on in one way or another… But Zuzu, you’re big and strong. It would take a lot, and careful planning, to take you down.”

“So… Beeks died for no reason?” Zuzu asked.

“I mean,” I frowned, “Inadvertently… He  _ saved  _  you.”

Zuzu was quiet a moment, and then slammed his fist down on the desk, “That makes so much more sense when it points to who actually did it.”

“Wha-”

“Mitsuo killed Hibiki!” Zuzu pointed at him, “I have a shit ton of evidence to prove it!”

“What?” Mitsuo looked around. Everyone was staring at him.

“Number one,” Zuzu listed, “I got the the gazebo around 6:30. I made myself a chill lil pillow crib, and like 20 minutes into me chillin, who do I see leave a tent just as the sun sets? Mitsuo.”

“I thought you said-”

“And what did he do before he left?”

“I don’t know! You were the only one there,” Takumi shouted.

“He kicked the smouldering fire out.”

“Yeah,” Mitsuo said, unfazed, “What does that have to do with anything? Someone left a fire still smouldering and that could’ve cause a bigger fire.”

“Yeah, but what color is ash?”

“The  **white powder** ,” Ginko gasped.

“I-”

“Ima keep goin’, okay?” Zuzu continued, “You know how Monokuma’s watching us at every move?”

“Every move! You can’t pick your nose or scratch your ass without me knowing!” Monokuma rejoiced.

“Yeah, so Sen and I were at the library, and I told Sen a lil’ piece of classified information… Monokuma’s listening, you know… And so is Monokuma’s master. The mastermind behind all of this!”

“Mastermind?” Gon asked.

“Mastermind!” Monokuma exclaimed.

“Mitsuo is running this show!” Zuzu slammed his hand down, “It’s convenient that there are no pictures of him from before, right?”

“And… he can’t remember his talent,” Ami whispered.

“Exactly,” Zuzu pointed at her, “leading me to my last point: Sen’s covering for him! She’s hoping that if she’s on his good side, he won’t let her die in this game! Or worse!  _ Sen is in love with him! _ ”

“ _ What _ ?” I asked.

Noboru pitched in, “Legitimately,  _ what _ ?”

“Oh don’t act so innocent,” he looked like he was holding back tears, “I saw you hide a piece of evidence, and hoped nobody would notice!”

_ Hide evidence? _

_ Oh shit. _

“Zuzu… No, I-”

“You picked up a piece of paper, something that Beeks probably wrote who the murderer was on, and shoved it in your pocket!”

“Did you do that, Sen?” Oda asked.

“I, uh- It… It wasn’t evidence.”

“Liar!” Zuzu shouted, “Stop covering for him!”

“Zuzu, please, just trust me- Trust  _ Hibiki  _ that-”

“Don’t you  _ dare _ bring him into this,” Takumi said.

“Sen,” Gon looked me in the eye, “Just show us the evidence you hid.”

I bit my lip. I didn’t want Mitsuo or myself to be damned from this. I fished the  **notecard** out of my pocket and handed it to Oda.

“Go for it,” I said, swallowing, “read it, and understand why I hid it.”

Oda’s eyes scanned over the words, and she set the card down, “It’s clear.”

“How do I know you’re not-”

“Fine,” Oda spat, “I’ll read it out loud!” She cleared her throat:

“ _ Your smile is the LP cover _

_ Your laugh is the beat _

_ Your voice is the lyrics _

_ Please continue to sing _

_ I’m shitty with poetry _

_ And music too _

_ But I’m a pretty good sound guy _

_ Let’s make this single two. _

_ What do you say, Zu? _ ”

We were all silent for a moment, and the Zuzu whispered, “Hibiki wrote that?”

“Do you get why I hid it?” I asked.

“Yeah…” He whispered, and then went silent.

“There’s another thing…” Mitsuo said, “You said you got the book at 6:15. And you walked that 20 minute hike back to camp. Then what did you do?”

“I grabbed a soda from the dining hall, and went to the gazebo.”

“So by the time you got to the main campground,” Mitsuo asked, “It was 6:35. How long is the walk to the new part of camp?”

“Around seven minutes?” Gon said.

“Let’s just say you got to the new camp at 6:45, cause you grabbed that soda. You said you made a yourself comfortable, another 5 minutes? And then twenty minutes later you saw me leave. I left the campsite at around 7:10, after the murder.”

“I get it,” Zuzu whispered, “I was wrong.”

“What kind of soda did you get?” Takumi asked, trying to make light.

“I grabbed a six pack,” Zuzu admitted, “Nobody was in the dining hall to see me.”

“Wait,” I interrupted, “Nobody was in the dining hall?”

“Nope,” Zuzu shook his head, “So I grabbed all the sodas.”

“Noboru, I thought you said you were in the dining hall?” That was  **his account** , after all. 

“I was,” Noboru said, “This idiot was too thick to even notice I was there. I saw him take the sodas and everything.”

“I woulda noticed my jockey number two!” Zuzu exclaimed.

“Wait… If you were there, then what kinda soda did Zu take?” Takumi asked.

“Cola. Red cans,” Noboru said in confidence.

“I didn’t…” Zuzu said, “I took all the lemon-lime sodas.”

He paused a moment, and then sighed, “Fine. I wasn’t in the dining hall okay?”

“Then where were you?”

“I was on the dock, watching the sun set,” he explained, “Watching something as beautiful as that makes me forget I’m in such an awful place.”

“Why did you lie?”

“Because,” he cleared his throat, “Me saying I’m in the dining hall makes more sense. It doesn’t matter… I couldn’t have killed him anyway. There’s no ramp.”

“That’s true,” Gon said, “Shun and I had to carry him up.”

“Plus, the dude’s on pills, I doubt he knows where he is right now,” Shun frowned.

“We need to discuss the white powder, I think,” Oda said, “Because if it wasn’t Mitsuo who left the ash with his shoe, then what could it be?”

“I’m thinking it’s flour… Like, from the kitchen.”

“Did anyone taste it?” Ginko asked.

“To be licking things off of the floors of crime scenes would be… unsanitary,” Narumi frowned.

“How else would we know it’s flour?” Ginko asked.

“Well, lets just say it is flour,” Mitsuo said, “That really only brings us back to one person…”

“And that’s me,” Zuzu frowned, “Y’all gonna keep suspecting me, even though Beeks was… He was my lil dude.”

“We already established that Zuzu didn’t kill Hibiki though,” I said, “Remember, the hood?”

“No,” Mitsuo said, “We inferenced that the killer didn’t see Hibiki’s face to kill him… Which sort of… Makes sense. Maybe Zuzu didn’t want to see Hibiki’s face while he delivered him freedom from the game. Maybe it was-”

“A mercy killing,” Narumi said with sadness in her voice, “You didn’t like that HIbiki was suffering and scared during the game. Or maybe you couldn’t handle the fact that he was in love with you-”

“ _ Shut up! _ ” Zuzu’s hand slammed against his podium,  _ “Shut the fuck up!  _ I would  _ never _ do that to Beeks. I don’t care if he swung that way or the other, I would never do anything to hurt my little buddy!”

“But you wouldn’t want anyone else to hurt him either,” Mitsuo said.

Zuzu started crying.

“Well, are you guilty, or not?”

“Mitsuo, stop it,” I said, “The motivation for Zuzu to kill Hibiki is severely lacking. I think… Pretty much all evidence points away from him.”

“Like what else?” Narumi asked.

“Zuzu,” I asked the blubbering DJ, “What kind of socks do you wear?”

“Ankle socks,” he sniffed, “I always try to get them in colors… I think I only have like, a pair of plain white socks.”

“Are your socks ever knee high?”

“I mean, except the rainbow ones you got me, no.”

“Can you just, show us your socks, just so we can make sure?” Mitsuo asked.

Zuzu put his sneaker on the table, and rolled up his jeans. His socks were day-glo orange and only reached the ankle.

It was exactly what I thought: Zuzu didn’t do it.

But something still bothered me.

“Noboru… What kind of socks to you wear?” I asked.

“What?” Oda asked, “We already established that he is  _ wheelchair bound _ .”

“Yeah, what gives?” he asked.

“Just answer the question.”

“White tube socks,” he said, “Like every other normal person at this camp.”

I nodded. The sock was black.

I persisted, “Can you roll up your pant leg so we can see your sock?”

“Well… Not all of them are white, like anyone-”

“Can you roll up your pant leg?” I repeated.

He looked at me with dead eyes, and rolled up the pant of his unbroken leg. His sock was black.

“And you… You only need one sock,” I said, “With the other foot being in a cast, and all…”

“So what?” He asked.

“There was a  **balled up sock** shoved in Hibiki’s mouth before he died,” I announced, “Presumably to keep him from screaming.”

“It was black,” Mitsuo added, “And matches Noboru’s sock right now.”

“That doesn’t prove anything!” Noboru yelled, “I’m bound to a wheelchair. You have to chose someone else!”

“I know you’re wheelchair bound,” I said, “That’s why you weren’t a suspect.”

“But now, because I lied about watching a sunset and wear socks, I am?” He asked, “That sock could’ve been anyone’s sock!”

“But who of us only needs one sock?” Ami asked.

“And… And your cast is made from plaster,” Oda said.

“Which would’ve left the white powder on the stairs!” Ginko said.  


“You’re all idiots! The real murderer is going to get away! You’re blaming someone bound to a wheelchair! How would I even get up those stairs without being in an enormous amount of pain!”

“I know how!” I announced, and looked to Gurekuma, “Hey Gurekuma, what kind of pain medication do you have Noboru on right now?”

“Only the most advanced medication!” Gurekuma said, “It’s supposed to completely numb any of the pain receptors in the area of the break. It’s as if the nerves in his leg don’t work!”

“So, hypothetically, could Noboru walk on his broken leg?”

“It’s all casted,” she put her paw to her mouth, “So I really wouldn’t recommend it. The cast would be heavy and it would mess up the healing process. But he could do it with little to no discomfort.”

“Sen… You’re… You solved it!” Mitsuo looked at me with stars in his eyes.

“So Noboru can walk?” Takumi asked.

“Let me run you through it,” I said, “Hibiki had been trying to make music on Zuzu’s machine with his help. The killer was annoyed by this, but mostly, he was annoyed by Zuzu. So when the night fell, he finally decided it was time to take action. Thinking the victim was Zuzu, who was playing in the dark with headphones on, the killer marched up the stairs, crashing the heavy cast down, and leaving the white residue on the steps. He was able to sneak behind the victim and blast the volume suddenly up to rupture his eardrum, then back down. He shoved the sock in his mouth to muffle any scream, before he unplugged the headphones and strangled Hibiki to death with them. Either in his anger and disgust with Zuzu, or just to make the death faster, he slammed his face into the soundboard, breaking his nose. Once everything was said and done, he returned to his wheelchair, and sat our, waiting for the body to be discovered. Once the body was discovered, and he was helped up on stage, he realized that it wasn’t Zuzu that he killed, and instead it was Hibiki. Covering his tracks, he made himself spacey and helpless all brought on my his broken leg and pain medication, isn’t that right, Noboru?”

Noboru was silent for a moment, and then said, “I really thought it was you, DJ.”

“I thought we were buddies. You were my jockey number two!”

“You’re not a fucking jockey!” Noboru boomed, “You don’t have any respect for the word! With being a jockey comes love and respect for horses and- And- I thought I murdered you!”

“God, I hate it when they confess before they vote,” Monokuma put his head in his paws, “So it’s voting time!”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Takumi said.

I scrolled through pictures of my campmates. I saw myself, and Mitsuo… Hibiki, Zuzu, Cho, and the murderer, Noboru. He looked so handsome in his picture. A bit younger, his hair cleaner, and his face less jaded. I pressed his face.

A moment passed, and Monokuma slammed the button in front of him. The votes were broadcasted: ten votes for Noboru, one vote for Zuzu.

A loading wheel spun on the screen, and then stopped to show Noboru’s school picture to everyone, with the glittery words  _ GUILTY _ over his eyes.

He took a deep breath, accepting his death, and a wave of pity washed over me.

“That’s not the only reason you wanted to kill him, was it?” I asked. I tried to make my voice as soothing as possible, “There was something else… Something more.”

“That’s- That’s none of your business.”

“You wanted to see  _ me _ again, didn’t you?” I asked.

“What the fuck?” Ginko asked. I shushed her.

“Noboru, it’s okay… It’s me… Shika,” I said.

He looked taken aback, and then he burst into tears. The tears were blubbery, huge, and dramatic, and they rolled down his face. “Shika… I thought… I thought it was Azumamaro… I needed to leave. I needed to see you.”

“So… You killed Hibiki to see me?” I asked.

“I would kill every last one of them to see you again, my dear,” he sobbed, wheeling toward me.

“It’s okay Noboru…”

He smiled, and held his arms open, “I love when you call me by my name… instead of master.”

“I- Master?”

“That’s nice too,” Noboru’s hands went on either side of my face.

“ _ Uhhhhhh, _ ” Gon bellowed.

Noboru’s hand ran from my forehead to the tip of my nose. 

“I miss you, Shika.”

“You’ll- It’ll be over soon,” I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t even know who Shika was.

“I just… I wanted to run my fingers through your mane one more time,” he smiled, “And kiss the diamond on your nose.”

“ _ What? _ ” I asked.

“What?” he blinked, and his eyes looked at  _ me _ , not Shika, “Where’s-”

“Now then! I’ve prepared a very special punishment for our Super High School Level Jockey!”

He looked at the bear who spoke nasally, then back at me, “Sen…”

“Let’s give it everything we got!” Monokuma paw hovered the button.

“Sen I’m scared to die,” He said, looking me in the eye. I couldn’t do anything but lean over and hug him. I could feel his fingers hold onto my jacket.

“ _ It’s punishment time! _ ” Monokuma screeched, pushing down on the button that rose from his chair.

The screen with Noboru’s picture on it flashed with the word  _ GUILTY _ . Noboru’s fingers held me tighter. He whispered into my shoulder, “I thought I’d see her one more time.”

The claw slithered from the ceiling and took hold of Noboru. He held me tight. The claw attached to him, tugging him upward. He still held onto me. I could feel my feet lift off the ground.

“Let go of her!” Mitsuo shouted, “This is your punishment! Not hers!” He grabbed my foot.

Noboru held onto the fabric. I unbuttoned the buttons on my cardigan, and slipped out, returning to the earth.

As Noboru disappeared into the ceiling, the light lit up once more:  _ ON AIR. _

The screen dropped down, and then came the words:  _ Reunion Track! _

_ _

Noboru fell from the sky, and landed on a large, split black and white horse. He was in a small booth, and then, suddenly, a gunshot went off.

And he was moving  _ fast _ . The type of race that you see change the records. He smoothed himself out against the horse, tapping it with his crop. As he and his horse turned around the bend, there was another horse at the end of the track: She was tan, with a white diamond on her nose. His eyes lit up, and he smacked the Monohorse once more time.

The horse rode faster and faster, and Noboru held onto it as if seeing this horse meant the world to him.

And then he hit it: the piece of paper that the horse was printed on. He actually went straight through it, and into a grinder.

The camera panned up, and the building covered by the large picture of his horse was labeled  _ Glue Factory. _

The last thing I saw of, assumingly, Noboru, was a thick white glue being poured into a clear bottle.

Noboru's picture lit up on screen with it's usual X over the face.

The TV turned off.

I stood there, cold and uncomfortable. Mitsuo was holding me.

Takumi clapped his hand against Zuzu’s shoulder and he went in for the hug. Zuzu paused, and sighed. He kicked the ground and said, “He wasn’t supposed to die.”

“Well,” Takumi rubbed his back, “he got justice.”

“He should’ve checked,” Zuzu shook his head, and swore under his breath.

I looked at Oda, who wiped her eye.

I broke away from Mitsuo, and approached her, “You okay?”

“He acted like,” she took a deep breath, “He just seemed like he wouldn’t do any of this.”

“Well, didn’t they all.”

“The difference is I trusted him,” she looked me in the eye, “I just need to reevaluate my trust.”

“You can-”

“Let me reevaluate,” Oda said, and walked away from me.

“Sen,” Mitsuo held his hand out to me, “You want my jacket?”

I was in my camisole, and my skin was pulling into tight goosebumps. I accepted it.

We walked back to the halls, exhausted, uncomfortable, mourning.

Mitsuo and I took just a bit longer than everyone else.

“So, I guess we’re the masterminds, then,” Mitsuo said, breaking the silence.

“No, that’s you. I’m just… trying to stay on your good side.”

“Or you’re in love with me.”

I scoffed.

“I, uh, don’t know if you believed him, or…” Mitsuo said, “Just know, I’d never do anything to hurt you… Or anyone, okay?”

I nodded.

We were standing in the middle of the hall between the cabins. It was time to say goodbye.

“I wouldn’t orchestrate this.”

“I know you wouldn’t.”

“And… I all I want is to survive your game with you.”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“Because… Well, because you’re- I- We-” he laughed, exasperated, “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah,” I said, “It’s time for a good night’s sleep.”

“Sleep well.”

“You too.”

I almost instantly fell asleep, as soon as my body hit the pillow.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma sits on Gurekuma, who is on her hands and knees in her nurse’s uniform.

“I missed you all so much! Going to bed without saying goodnight felt like going to bed angry at my spouse! It feels so good to see you again! I feel like we’ll all be seeing familiar faces very soon!”

 

**Students Remaining: 10**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got a lil... kinky there sorry about that. (ALSO SORRY ABOUT THE EXECUTION ART... IDK HOW TO DRAW HORSES OR PEOPLE ON THEM)  
> Another chapter! It's so good to be releasing this knowing what you're in for next chapter! >:3c  
> Also, I think sometime this weekend I will be uploading just an intermission of just lil doodles of the characters being together, so if you have any requests or people you'd like to see drawn from this fic, go ahead and comment. I just wanna give a lil' gift to all my sweet readers for being literal angels.  
> Also shoutout to Neo for their comment on the previous chapter!!! They totally would survive this game! It's almost like they were in the trial!  
> And another shoutout to Flux, who drew me some art of our Ueno boys together! It was awesome! (If you read this Flux, I'd love to include your art in the little bonus thing I'm doing this weekend, with proper credit of course <3)  
> Anyways, I love you all very much, have a wonderful day <3 <3 <3


	21. BONUS: JUST ART CHAPTER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I just wanted to let you all know I appreciate all of you a lot! This is just an art dump, just because everyone has their little title cars, but they all need more art!!!  
> I love you all very much, there will be a new chapter this Thursday<3

THE CONCEPT:

  
Okay, so here's a look into the first drafts of the kids. They were hastily drawn at like- two AM because I realized that I am the master of my own destiny and I could make a Fangan Ronpa if I wanted to! So I made them all. You can probably recognize everyone, but just in case, from L to R, top to bottom: Mitsuo, Gon, Joben, Narumi, Cho, Shun, Ami, Sen, Ginko, Haruka, Oda, Zuzu, Noboru, Afu, Takumi, and Hibiki. Originally, Mitsuo was going to have light blue, almost teal hair, Sen was going to have grey hair and dress like she worked in a morgue, Afu was going to be very, very tall and so was Hibiki. ALSO, Narumi was going to be the main character, and it was going to revolve around her and how she could psychoanalyze the killers, but I am not good with psych, so I didn't go in that direction, and instead went with a very plain girl, who doesn't really consider herself talented despite her talents.

 

  
Gon, Cho, and Ami. I was originally going to give everyone art and intro cards, but I guess I didn't want to finish that task, and then my art style changed a bit. So here are very strange looking cards, because they are definitely in my old art style. Gon wears skinny jeans, Cho wears TOMS-like shoes, because she is usually forced to wear heels when she's up in the air and HATES it, and ORIGINALLY, Ami was going to roller skate everywhere and have frilly little socks, but I scrapped that and in my head, she just wears chucks.

  
This is just a silly little doodle, when I finally decided to make Sen swing her ponytail over her shoulder. Originally she was just going to wear it right against the back of her neck, but I didn't like how she looked. (And yes that's a lil Mitsuo)

  
I drew this for my beta-reader, who loves Gon. They really wanted Gon to eat the banana Sen gave him, so yeah... That's for Louis, but I like Gon, so it's also for me and everyone else.

  
This is just a little sketchdump of Sen and Cho walking to class together, a doodle of Afu, and some REAL unfinished Zuzu/Hibiki which we will delve into later in the story! Just a little aside, Sen always has a shoulder bag, despite it not being given to her in the intro card. Also, at Hope's Peak, I feel like Sen would wear a tie instead of a little bow like all the ladies do.

  
Just a little goodbye with Sen and Cho.

 

  
And then final is a glimpse into what Cho thinks of everyone at camp. (These are all hypothetical situations, Ginko has never really exposed herself to Sen, Afu doesn't have that hair in this part of the story, she never ballroom danced with Mitsuo, and Haruka and Gon are not parents lmao)

 

 

I have a bunch of NSFW/ship art of these characters, like Love Hotel type shit, but I didn't know if it was appropriate to put in, so I nixed it.

Anyways, thank you guys! I love you so much, see you THURSDAY!


	22. Chapter Four: Smells Like Teen Despair (PART I)

_ “Are you really wearing those shoes?” ***** said, looking down at my feet. _

_ “What?” I asked, “It’s not like we’re hiking the minute we get off the plane.” _

_ “We’re not,” he said, “I thought you’d like to make a better impression, is all.” _

_ “Impression?” I scoffed, “I’ve seen… Most of them since. It’s not like everyone’s going to go ‘Wow, you’ve changed so much in the few weeks it’s been since we last saw each other!’” _

_ “No,” he hoisted his suitcase to stand upright, “It’s more like, ‘I can vacation while looking better than you’.” _

_ “But isn’t vacation all about relaxing? Slipping on your comfy shoes and chilling out?” _

_ He scoffed, “Do you think anyone can actually vacation? I mean, I bet it took years for ***** to convince ***** to leave Machiko’s side for more than a day. And for ***** to take a break, you’d have to break his legs. And *****? She’s been so far up the headmaster’s ass, that I never thought she’d see daylight again.” _

_ “I think that’s why ***** organized all of this,” I smiled at him, “It’s a chance to catch up. Go back to the old days, like our first year.” _

_ “The old days,” he sighed, not exactly dreamily, “Do you, uh, think… you-know-who is coming?” _

_ “Be nice,” I looked at him a long moment, and then said, “I think it’s everyone.” _

_ “I haven’t seen ***** in years… since… Well,” he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, kissing the back of my neck, “We’ve known a few characters in our time.” _

_ “A few?” I placed my hand on his joined hands, and looked back at him, “I’d say I know fifteen.” _

_ “Me included?” He asked. _

_ “You included.” _

_ “Senshine, I’ll show you char- Oh,” he paused, fishing his phone from his pocket, “The cab is here.” _

_ ***** and I arrived at the airport in a timely manner. Waiting for us in our meeting spot was ***** and *****. The first thing ***** said to me was, “Are you really wearing those shoes?” Before she gave me an amicable kiss on the cheek. _

_ She looked at ***** and said, “*****, good to see you!” _

_ “*****, *****, you’re looking lovely, as always,” he offered hugs. _

_ “God, you’re such a prat,” ***** rolled her eyes, “Hey, Sen, how’s everything been?” _

_ “Hectic! You know, it’s Spring and all…” I shrugged, “But, well, what about you?” _

_ “Not bad, not bad,” she said, “I’m excited to fly.” _

_ “Oh, has it been awhile?” I asked, “***** just took a flight to England and back. He’s been in and out with all the shit he’s had to do in records.” _

_ “Boo,” she stuck her thumbs down out. _

_ A voice excitedly caught our attention. More people came, meaning more hugs came. And then a few more. And more. After awhile, I was surrounded by amicable voices with blurred out faces, none of which I could tell apart, or remember.  _

_ The last thing I saw was endless blue ocean that the sixteen of us flew over in a charter plane. _

 

I woke up, uncomfortable with the lucidity of the dream.

My chest heaved at the heaviness of my sleep. I felt like I was entering the realm of comatose right before I woke up. I stood, wobbly, and looked out my window to Cho’s empty room. A loud sigh expelled me.

“I don’t want to play anymore,” I whispered to myself. I noticed that the sky was dark and grey. I wasn’t actually aware of the time, or how long I had slept. I had fallen asleep after the trial, sometime around ten or eleven at night. Who knew what time it could be after that many days awake?

I looked at my tablet. It was 8:30 in the morning.

_ I slept almost through the morning announcement? _ I thought,  _ I should see if anyone else is awake. _

I changed into clean clothes, brushed my hair, and opened to door, only to be greeted by the foulest smell I’d ever experienced.

I wasn’t even sure what the smell was. All I knew was that it had filled up my lungs, assaulting all my senses. I coughed and slammed the door shut.

How the hell was I supposed to see who was up if I couldn’t even leave my cabin?

I couldn't put a name to the noxious smell- it was something I’d never experienced: elk pee, bear droppings, maybe skunk? I never really went camping like this, so I didn’t know what the woods would whip up for me.

I took a clean undershirt from my closet and pressed it flush against my face. I again, exited my room.

The first person I could think of going to was Mitsuo. He was just across the corridor from me, so I could run and get to him the fastest. 

But walking just a bit into the corridor made me realize the smell: death

Strung up over the walkway between the cabins were the victims to this killing game. The first body I saw was Joben’s. He was hung right in front of my door. His face was a pale blue, save for the crusted, browning blood at the corners of his mouth and in the gash at the center of his chest.

I screamed, dropping my makeshift mask, and tripping backwards. I looked across the string in awe. They all were there: Cho, with crisping and blistered skin, Haruka’s body, missing most of her head, a bottle of pink tinged glue with the name  _ NOBORU _ crudely written on it with permanent marker, Joben, Afu, whose body was openly enjoyed by the elements, and Hibiki, whose face still was lit up in panic and fear, with a bloody, broken nose.

“Finally  _ someone _ is up!”

“What?” I asked, looking around. Monokuma approached me with a clothespin pinched on his nose.

“You shits slept for 32-hours,” Monokuma stood over me, “It gets boring waiting for you to see my  _ genius! _ ”

The bodies draped on the wire… That was Monokuma’s genius.

“I… Why?”

“Why?” Monokuma put his hand on his cheek, “Why… Well… I guess everyone wants a little bit of recognition for the things they do for others… I just wanted you-”

“Why would you do this to them,” I could feel my voice raise, “Haven’t they suffered enough? Haven’t  _ we  _ suffered enough.”

“Suffered?” Monokuma laughed, “No! They got to check out early. I would definitely say you’re suffering, but it’s all about those ratings! The more you suffer, the more people watch!”

I looked at the cameras. Two of them were focused on me, “Why are you  _ watching _ this? This is  _ torture _ !”

“To feel that  _ despair _ ,” Monokuma growled, “It’s an unstoppable force! Once you get hyped up on despair, there’s no hope that can stop it.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked, “Sit here and stew in it? Is that all there is to the feeling? Depression, lethargy, hopelessness? Then what?”

“Submission to calamity,” Monokuma explained, “Living in a world with no law, no love, no hope. Only then will my goal be fulfilled.”

I looked at my friends, my  _ dead _ friends, and then at the bear that loved to torture me. The stench of their overexposed corpses filled my being, and tears steadily streamed down my face.

“That’s it!” Monokuma loomed over me, “Give in! Give in! Give in! ”

“Oh my God,” Ginko’s voice faltered. I looked at her, and she was staring at Afu’s corpse.

“Ginko don’t-”

“Take her down,” Ginko looked at Monokuma with murder in her eyes, “Take her down of so help me I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” Monokuma asked, “Take a swing at me? You’ll be killed, and I’ll be fine! I’m untouchable, remember? Hurting me is against the rules!”

“Then I’m taking her down!” Ginko looked back at one of the poles that supported all the bodies’ weight.

“No you’re not!” Monokuma laughed, “Take a look at your rule book!”

I opened the rules section on my tablet: 

  1. Under no circumstances are you to leave camp.
  2. Violence against the camp leader is strictly prohibited.
  3. Nighttime is from 11 PM to 8AM. In this dark, Junk and Beast Monokumas feel comfortable roaming. Some areas are of limits, some areas are dangerous. Express the utmost amount of caution if you are to go outside during nighttime. 
  4. Intentional destruction of camp property is prohibited.
  5. You must wait at least fifteen minutes after eating before swimming in the lake or indoor pool.
  6. You may leave the camp of mutual killing if you commit a murder and are not caught.
  7. Rules and Regulations may be added as the camp leader pleases.
  8. The removal of bodies from crime scenes or areas intended by the camp leader or murderer is strictly prohibited.



I read the new rule aloud to Ginko.

“You can’t just make up shit as you please!”

“Rule 7, yes I can,” Monokuma laughed, “Anyways, I got a surprise for all of you so-”

“Attention campers! Please make your way to the cabin corridor, I have a surprise for you! Attendance is mandatory!” My tablet blared. I could hear an echo from Ginko’s bag, and through the open windows of some of the cabins.

The first person out of their room was Oda. She took a step off her porch, and seeing the bodies and smelling the air lurched backward, “What the fuck?”

“Come on then!” Monokuma urged her to step forward.

Oda shielded her eyes with one hand, and covered her nose and mouth with the other.

“H- Haruka…” Gon whispered, at the bottom of his staircase, “Wh…”

Oda walked toward him and said, “Close your eyes.”

“No!” Ginko barked, “Fcuking open your eyes and look what you did to Afu, you fucking spineless shitbag!”

“You don’t have to do anything, Gon,” Oda instructed.

“Oh dear,” Narumi said, looking up at the corpses, “Ginko, where are-”

“M’ right here,” Ginko said.

Narumi came over with open arms. Ginko rested her head on Narumi and let out a deep sigh, “Don’t look at her, alright?”

“Yeh,” Ginko said, obviously trying not to cry. Narumi rubbed her back.

Mitsuo, Shun, and Takumi came out and immediately shielded themselves from horror. I walked to Ami’s door and, as she opened it, promptly instructed her to keep her head down, and cover her mouth.

She didn’t listen, and in my arms she cried.

Zuzu was the last one to come out, pulling up his pants. He locked on Hibiki as soon as he left his porch.

“What the fuck are you doing?” He asked Monokuma, “Shouldn’t these folks be buried, or cremated, or-”

“Now that everyone’s here, I can explain! These bodies hanging here is your motive!”

“How is this a motive?” Narumi asked.

“I’m just gonna leave ur pals exposed to the elements… You know, flies, and Monobeasts, and air, and let them rot! If you want to avoid the smell and sight of literal rotting bodies, then all you have to do is kill, kill, kill!”

“That’s-” Ami began, her eyes full of tears, but she swallowed down her protest.”

“Anyways, who wants to explore a new part of camp?” Monokuma asked.

“You said it was mandatory,” Mitsuo said.

“I sure did!” Monokuma laughed, “Isn’t it nice to be boss!”

He walked us on the same trail that lead to the area with the library, but about ten minutes into the walk, he turned onto a new trail. He continued down for five minutes, then stopped at the base of a large redwood tree. He said, “Here we are!”

“A big tree?” Gon asked.

“Oh sorry,” Monokuma hit the trunk of the tree, and a rope ladder fell down.

We all looked up.

It was a tree house The rope ladder went two stories up and stopped on a porch, where a spiral staircase complete with handrails led a few stories more up to the decently sized house. There was a rope bridge to a smaller house.

“It’s a treehouse,” Ginko said in bewilderment.

“A treehouse!” Mitsuo celebrated, “I haven’t been in a treehouse since grade school!” He put his hands on the rungs of the rope ladder, “Holy shit, how is nobody excited for this?”

“Maybe ‘cause Hibiki had to die for it?” Takumi pointed out.

“Or that the corpses of our loved ones are rotting outside,” Gon crossed his arms.

“Some more than others,” Ginko stared daggers into him.

“Or maybe because we’re not the mastermind,” Zuzu scoffed.

“Drop the mastermind bullshit, Azumamaro,” Oda narrowed her eyes at him, “We don’t even know if there is a mastermind.”

“A mastermind?” Monokuma tilted his head, “You mean someone on the inside, someone orchestrating this whole thing, watching you guys rip each other apart all while participating themselves? Someone who gets to experience the  _ despair _ you land each other in… All while lapping up your trust?”

We all looked at each other.

“Yeah,” Zuzu said, “Someone like that.”

“Sounds crazy,” Monokuma replied simply.

“It sounds like something you would do,” Narumi pointed out, “Aren’t the best seats in basketball courtside?”

“Courtside isn’t playing the game though,” I said, “Courtside is being close to the action, but watching, like Monokuma.”

“But to play the damaging game that you yourself invented,” Gon asked, “Isn’t that cathartic?”

“Or punishment,” Takumi said.

“Hey, hey!” Mitsuo put his hands up, “That doesn’t mean that the person behind this is- Well… one of us.”

“Except it does,” Zuzu narrowed his eyes, “I’m onto you Ito, good idea to watch your back.”

Mitsuo looked at him with confusion in his eyes. I didn’t know what to do.

“Who wants to check out the treehouse?”

Deafening silence followed, until Mitsuo began to go up the rope ladder. Oda followed him shortly thereafter.

I decided to follow after Oda, before any of the boys could. Her panties were red, like her hair. I wanted to yell at myself for even looking.

From below us, I heard Shun let out a low growl, “Ginko, who knew you were so scandalous!!! All that lace!”

Ginko looked down at Shun and said, “You might wanna climb up a little faster so you can kiss my ass.”

“That’s why I went last,” Narumi admitted, though, her skirt was slightly pencilled, and would be harder to get an upskirt on her. We all climbed up to the slight porch at the top of the ladder, and stopped for a breath.

“You know, we should be able to trust the boys to not be perverted enough to be looking up our ladies skirts!” Ami put her hands on her hips, “I mean seriously guys?”

Shun rubbed the back of neck.

“Hey… Did anyone notice that rope ladder was unusually strong?” Gon asked, “It supported the weight of ten of us.”

The odd thing was, the rope being strong wasn’t what resonated with me. It was that there were only ten of us left. Six of us had already succumb to the disease that was hopelessness. I looked at the ten of us, Mitsuo, Gon, Narumi, Ami, Shun, Ginko, Oda, Takumi, Zuzu, and I, and thought about who we lost.

Despite their varying behaviors, those we lost were smart, driven, and really wanted to escape, and yet… they slipped through our fingers.

“Sen, you okay?” Oda looked at me, “You look pale.”

“I’m fine,” I said, touching my cheek, “I’m just- uh, afraid of heights is all.”

“Oh,” she looked down over the edge of the stairs, before climbing them, “Just don’t look down.”

We all headed up the stairs that spiraled wonderfully around the tree before it stopped in a roomy, woodsy treehouse.

It was beautiful. The walls and floor were different stains of wood. The whole interior had a cabin-y feel to it. There were board games laid out on the tables, a large television with an entertainment system hooked up to it, large lodge lights that lit up the room well, and enough places to sit for everyone. Beside the main, plaid couch, were to black bean back chairs that Ginko and Shun were automatically attracted to. The two fought over one, shoving each other, until Narumi pointed out, “There’s one more on the other side.”

Ginko pushed off of Shun, practically skittering on all fours to the other bean bag.

Takumi hurdled over the couch, plopping on his side and resting his head in his hand, “This sofa is comfy.”

“We could practically set up community living here,” Gon said, “There’s a small kitchen, and entertainment and-”

“Are we all gonna share the couch?” Ami asked, lifting Takumi’s legs and sitting underneath them. She laid them back across her lap, “We have our own cabins.”

“There are corpses hung out in front of them,” Gon said, “We should avoid the area at all costs.”

“Except there’s… rules,” Mitsuo said. He read the rules aloud, “1. No fire in the tree house. 2. No nudity in the tree house. 3. No sleeping in the tree house.”

“No nudity?” Ginko asked.

“Oh, what’re we gonna do?” Shun put the back of his hands on his forehead, “I need to whip my dick out  _ rinnow _ , but Monokuma will kill me!”

“You’re so gross,” Ami said, “Nobody wants to know about your dick.”

“What’s that old quote?” Shun asked the room, “Thou you protest a lot.”

“It’s  _ The lady doth protest too much, methinks _ ,” Narumi said, leaning over the couch.   
“ _ I do not _ ,” Ami crossed her arms, “I just think it’s totally gross when boys are like Shun. They think they can look up skirts and make dick jokes and everyone laughs with them.”

“It was just a bad joke Ami,” Mitsuo offered mediation, “I think he just thinks the rule is oddly specific, don’t you?”

Ami looked over at the rule board, and then pursed her lips together, “I guess.”

“But we can’t sleep here, away from the  _ motive _ ,” Gon said, a chill visibly running up his spine, him quaking as he spoke.

“What about the campsite?” Narumi suggested, “With the tents?”

“There’s only six of them,” Mitsuo frowned, “I guess four of us can double up?” He looked around. We all did. His eyes linked with mine. I immediately felt my face go red, and I looked away.

“That doesn’t solve our problem,” Takumi said, “Our problem is there are rotting bodies just sitting outside, and they are our friends, and seeing and smelling them is not really something we can avoid. Sure, we can sleep there, but… What about food? What about the laundry room? It’s a motive, it’s planned to torture us.”

“Then we get used to it,” Oda shrugged, “We stayed up for days and none of  _ us  _ killed anyone. We were tempted by a box of mystery, and none of  _ us  _ killed anyone. We were persuaded with escape, and again-”

“We get it,” Shun said, “But we think that every time. We think all of us are special. And then one of us kills another. And then it’s another group of  _ we-won’t-give-in  _ people. I think we jsut need to stick it out as best as we can. How long does it take for the bodies to… go away?”

“That would take  _ weeks _ at least,” I said, “I think the best course of action is like Narumi said. Sleep in the tents. Four of us can double up in tents, and we can go around the cabins to get to the dining hall and other places.”

“I guess that’ll have to do,” Ami put her hands on her hips, “But who’s gonna room up?”

“Me and Zuzu will, right?” Takumi looked at Zuzu.

“And I’ll take a room with Ginko,” Narumi looked at her with smiling eyes.

“And-” Ami began.

Oda cut her off, “I’m with Sen.”

I looked at Oda with confusion in my eyes. Oda continued, “Ami should be in a tent alone, seeing as she’s the only girl left. Does anyone else want a tent alone?”

“I’d like to be alone,” Gon volunteered.

Shun looked at Mitsuo and then rolled his eyes, “Fine then, I’ll take the amnesiac. Maybe I’ll give him a midnight haircut.”

“Maybe I’ll give you a midnight buzzcut,” Mitsuo crossed his arms.

“Try me flyboy,” Shun winked, “Buzzes can be considered sexy, if the wearer looks as good as me.”

“Well,” Ami stretched, “I’m gonna go eat breakfast. I can’t  _ believe _ how hard we all slept… Sen, you coming?”

“Oh, uh,” I looked around the cabin. I supposed I was hungry. I nodded and went with her.

We walked through the woods together, Ami continually checking behind her. She finally turned to me and asked, “What the heck is up with Oda?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why does Oda want you to be a tent alone with her? Why does she want me to be alone?” Her eyes looked a little sad, “Do you think she’s planning something?”

“No! Oda’s nice! I don’t think she’s planning anything,” I paused. It  _ was _ out of character. I hung my head, “Maybe she just needs someone… and doesn’t want to admit it.”

“What if I need someone too!”

“Then maybe you should tent up together,” I shrugged, “I’m not sure why I’m in the middle of it.”

“Well, you wouldn’t choose Oda!”

“Why not? She’s really nice… despite how she presents herself,” I frowned, “She’s my friend! You all are!”

Ami hugged her arms, and huffed, “What sounds good for breakfast?”

Ami and I arrived at the trailhead, and went around the back of the cabins to loop back to the dining hall. It was easier to take the long way around than see the bodies of our friends.

Ami made us rolled omelettes, and by the time she finished ours, four more people came in asking for some. It was so strange to see Ami, so willing to stand in the middle of her bite, and cook for others.

She once everyone was served, she finally came back to her omelette, and ate with more satisfaction than before.

“Hey, Ami,” Takumi asked her from across the table. She looked at him out of the corner of he eye as she took a big bite.

“Oh uh, sorry,” he bit his lip, “I just wanted to know if you wanted to swim more laps with me?”

She looked at me, then her food, then him, “Are you willing to wait the mandatory fifteen minutes?”

He nodded, “Oh yeah! I’ll, uh, wait right here.” He pulled up a chair, and leaned against the table. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes, and I smiled and took her and my plates.

They began chatting, and I went outside.

Zuzu was just standing in the corridor for the cabins, staring up. It was horrifying.

“Zu, you… okay?” I called out. He snapped out of whatever funk he was in. He looked at me, and then back up at Hibiki. He shook his head and said, “I gotta do  _ something _ .”

“Something?”

He turned and ran.

I ran after him, “What do you mean?”

He ran faster, and I couldn’t keep up.

“Don’t hurt anyone!” I called after him, as he ran down into the trail toward the library.

I sighed, helpless and with a line of dead bodies behind me.

Overwhelmed by the bodies, I busied myself with a visit to the MonoVENDO machine, from which I received a spray ointment keychain, a book of crossword puzzles, and a glass insatiable bird.

Walking out of the room, Gon approached me from behind, asking, “Hello-”

I yelped, turning around. He laughed slightly, then asked, “What’re you doing in there?”

“Oh, nothing, just looking for something to do…” I shrugged, “Do you wanna hang out?”

He smiled at me and nodded. We ended up going to the library to look at books.

As we sat down at a table in the library, I looked at him and asked, “Did you have an office, or a desk when we weren’t in the games?”

“I had an office,” he smiled, “Though I didn’t have my PhD  _ yet _ , I did have my own office, why?”

“Cause I found this thing, and I don’t know why,” I pulled out the insatiable bird, “You were the first person I thought of.”

The bird stood, and he tapped the back of its head. It bobbed it’s head down, and the fluid inside it moved, and allowed it to bounce back up. He giggled loudly, and held it’s head to stop it from going for another fake drink. “Wait, you want me to have this?”

“Yeah, why not?” I shrugged, “When we all get out of here, put it on your desk.”

He tapped it once more, and then stopped it again.

“Hey, Sen, do you like to read?”

“What?” I looked at my one book, compared to his stack, “Oh, I just… I know what I’m capable of in one sitting.”

“Don’t you want to check out multiple books?”

“No, I think one at a time is fine for me,” I looked at my book,  _ The Rising Sun. _ It wasn’t the same copy that I had apparently borrowed from Joben, it was Monokuma’s.

“I just like to have a personal library,” Gon said, “It keeps me busy.”

“Do you like to read?” I asked. I knew it was a stupid question.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” he nodded, “I love it. I love fiction, non fiction, I love medical texts. Who says that? Who loves medical texts?”

I chuckled slightly.

“I just like printed word. I think it makes more sense to me than anything else. You know?”

I nodded, “I’m a big fan of fiction.”

“I feel like you’re a romance girl,” Gon teased.

“Why, because I’m a solemniser?”

“No, because you seem like it,” he smiled, “Hey Sen?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you have married Haruka and I,” he asked, “If we survived?”

“Without a doubt. For free,” I looked at him with slight surprise, “You don’t even need to ask!”

“I just,” he swallowed, “I didn’t know if that would be weird or-”

“Gon, I marry people because I believe in love… And as long as both parties are in love and willing I will marry them, okay?”

He nodded, his eyes misty. I didn’t like to see him cry.

“What’d going to happen when  _ you  _ get married?” he lightened the mood, “Are you going to hold a mirror up at your altar? Answer your own question?”

I laughed, and answered truthfully, “I’m going to take a day off! Hire someone else! I wouldn’t think about working, or making my friends work. I won’t let Zu DJ, or Ami wait, or you-”

“I hope my services won’t be needed,” he wiped his eye, “but… It’s nice of you to think of us all.”

“I will always think of you all. It seems that even before I can remember, you’re all my best friends… And the ten of us left… The survivors, we’re all going through things that nobody else will  _ ever _ be able to relate to. We’ll need each other, no matter what happens, when we escape.”

He smiled at me, looking weepy. He wiped his nose on his coat, and then looked down at his book, “How about some reading?”

“Yeah, how about that?”

Gon and I read with one another for awhile. It was nice to just feel safe in someone else’s presence.

The worst part about  _ The Rising Sun  _ was how fast I ate up the book. Every word felt predictable, because it was wiped from me. When Gon excused himself to his room, I stayed there, reading the book.

I got to the ending, and did not cry, despite how hard my middle school friend told me I would, because inside me, I knew the end. I closed the book, dissatisfied and confused. I looked at my tablet, and realized that I sat and read the novel for three hours.

Obviously there were pictures, and feelings, and proof that our memories had been wiped, but nothing felt more serious than how the book made me feel. I took a deep breath, and couldn’t do anything more than run back to my cabin.

I slammed the door behind me, and sat on my bed, suppressing panic. I didn’t know what I felt: awe, fear, but worst of all, the idea that I had been robbed of everything.  _ Everything:  _ my friendships, my family, my memories, and even little things, like the ending of a book.

I heard a clamor from outside, and I peeked through my window. It was Zuzu, looking at one of the support beams that held up the bodies.

I covered my nose, and opened my window.

“Zuzu! Don’t run-”

“Sen, sorry for bookin’ it! That might’ve seemed like I was a homicidal maniac, right?” he took a few steps up on my porch, “Nah, I just had to go do somethin’.”

“What did, uh, you have to do?”

“Return my library book,” he smiled sheepishly.

_ Oh. _

“Well, maybe get away from those bodies… That can’t be healthy.”

“No yeah,” he shook his head, “It’s deffo gonna fuck me up… But it’s worth it to, uh, feel like Hibiki’s in my life still, you know?”

“Come on,” I closed the door behind me, “Let’s get a snack or something.”

“I haven’t had lunch yet, that sounds nice,” Zuzu celebrated.

We sat in the dining hall, alone together. I still couldn’t forgive him for how suspicious he was of Mitsuo and I, but he was afraid and in mourning. I knew all too well.

_ Everyone, survive  _ rang in my head. Death made everyone react horribly. It depressed me, it made Zuzu paranoid.

I got myself chips. Zuzu made himself a sandwich.

“Hey Zu, so what-”

“Sen, I gotta apologize.”

“What?”

“For calling you out like that last night.”

It was two nights prior. I didn’t feel the need to correct him.

“Oh, I-”

“It’s like, I can’t trust Mits until he opens up, and instead his entire personality is he doesn’t know shit. It’s all too convenient. But it was stupid dickish of me to rope you into it, you know?”

“I understand,” I popped a chip into my mouth, “but how do you think Mitsuo feels?”

“ _ Mitsuo doesn’t know what it’s like to lose a best friend! _ ” Zuzu barked, too loud. I cowered a little. He straightened up, and apologized, “Jus’... He’s sly, that one, and there’s somethin’ about him that I wanna figure out but can’t. I don’t like not knowin’ someone when they’re  _ right there. _ ”

“Then befriend him-”

“I can’t make friends with anyone anymore… I can’t lose another person,” He put his head in his hands, “I ain’t strong enough to handle this shit, you know?”

“I know,” I sighed. I reached across the table and put my hand on his arm.

He took a deep breath and said, “And guilt is  _ eating _ me up.”

“Because of the hoodie?”

“The hoodie?” He asked, caught off guard, “Oh… Right, that too.”

“What else is there?”

“I shouldn’t… I shoulda listened to you. When I pinned the evidence on Mitsuo, i was so sure your were covering his ass… I shouldn’ta called you out.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you.”

“I’m glad I got your forgiveness,” he said, “but what I feel guilty about is Beeks. His personal shit aired out for all’a us to hear… That poem was…”

“Intimate.”

“Shit, yeah,” he licked his lips, and combed his fingers through his hair.

“Was it-” I didn’t know how to ask, “How do you feel about it? About him?”

“He was my best friend,” Zuzu’s brows knit together, “but… That’s about it. That’s my guilt.”

“Oh, you feel guilty that you didn’t feel the same way?”

“No, that I embarrassed him in his afterlife,” he sighed, “I heard his feelings and we all just moved on because we all knew the answer.”

“Oh.”

“Did I lead him on?” He looked really concerned of this, “I just treated him like a bro, like I’d treat any of you guys, because we’re buds. Did I… do something to make him  _ like  _ me.”

“Azumamaro,” I sighed, “I think feelings are a mysterious thing. You treated him well, you were a good friend, and that’s more than enough reason for him to develop feelings for you. Hell, he could’ve had them residually, like Gon and Haruka. Crushes… Are weird.”

“But why did he want to shoot his shot now of all times?”

“Sleep deprivation,” I laughed, “Or maybe he was tired of just looking at you without having all his cards on the table… Maybe he knew the only way to get over you was to get rejected, or-” I cut myself off. I knew why. I whispered,  “Or he knew he didn’t have a lot of time left.”

“What?” Zuzu’s face pinned up.

“He didn’t know what was going to become of him, but he knew he wasn’t going to survive the killing game. He just wanted you to know that you… were appreciated because he died.”

I expected Zuzu to cry. But he didn’t. He just looked at me with a face of stony understanding, and swallowed hard.

“I’m gonna go lay down… This shits starting to make my head spin.”

“Okay,” I stood, cleaning up after the both of us, “Do you need anything?”

“Nah, I just gotta… Let it simmer. Thanks for talkin’ with me Sen.”

“Thanks for hanging out with me too.”

I cleaned up after us having lunch, only to be greeted with a scream outside. I rushed outside to see Ginko, clutching a camera in her hands.

“You  _ motherfuckers _ !” She was on her knees sobbing, “Why haven’t you found us yet? Are you  _ looking _ for us? We’re  _ suffering _ !” Her scream was needy, desperate. It was exactly how we all felt, being aired out.

Narumi came to her side and said, “ _ Ginko… _ ”

“They’re watching us suffer!” She broke down, “They’re watching  _ her _ rot!”

“How about I make us some tea…” Narumi helped her up. She began to sob in her arms.

They walked past me, and into the dining hall without even acknowledging that I watched her break down.

It was true though.

People were watching us suffer.

I went to my room and let that sit with me. According to Monokuma, people were tuning into our suffering, like some sort of reality show. Fan favorites got voted off unjustly. People had ideas of what we should be doing to get out. People watched us commit murder like it was a plotpoint to a story.

I cried, and cried, and cried. I let myself cry because there was nothing in the world that was more hopeless than people indulging in our misery for entertainment. 

And then I sat up in my bed, feeling well sobbed out and empty. I looked into the camera in my room and said, “So you’re watching.”

There was silence in my room. Maybe I’d gone mad.

“It must be nice to be watching from the comfort of your homes,” I touched my bed, “I miss my home. I miss my bed, and my mom and dad, and my middle school, and my house. I miss not being afraid of my friends, or for my friends. I miss… I miss being a normal kid. I had, apparently, the greatest year of my life robbed from my memory, in the name of this game. I know people are looking for us, they have to be, I don’t believe in a world that just sits there and watches us suffer, and to those of you that are watching, consider, if you aren’t forced, turning off your television, unplugging, or… leaving us be. Maybe if there’s no reason to tune in… There will be no reason to keep us.”

I laughed emptily.

“I could be completely wrong about everything. Maybe this is a world where this is a show and you people are thirsty for blood… Maybe this has zero viewers, and Monokuma just wants us to think we’re being watched to make us worse off… Maybe, just maybe, nobody’s watching, you all turned it off in the same hopes I have, and Monokuma is  _ that _ relentless. I don’t know.”

Suddenly, I felt silly I was talking to nobody.

“I, uh, if you’re out there… Hi Mom. I’m safe for now, and I love you. Hi Dad. I’m trying to stay strong, and I love you as well. Hi Yuiko. I’m,” I chuffed, “I’m on TV again! Isn’t that neat? I love you, and I know I don’t remember my first year… so you’re gonna have to explain everything that happened at Grand Hills Academy, okay?”

I was crying.

“And, and- Hana! There _are_ cute boys, just like you said,” I tried to laugh, but this couldn’t be fixed, “I miss you. I miss all of you. I even miss the mean shopkeeper with the fat cat, and the boys that blew spitballs on the back of my chair. I miss the weddings, and the music, and the safe happy feeling, and the  _ love. _ I miss love, and instead all I have is fear. I need… I need Hope. Not despair. I need something. Please save us.”

And I cried. I couldn’t look at the camera anymore. If there was someone on the other end, they’d just see me give up, lay back on my bed facing the nothingness of the ceiling.

But I couldn’t do anything else.

I just laid there, for hours.

And when I heard the nasally death of Monokuma’s voice, well, that was when I fell asleep.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma puts poorly done makeup on Gurekuma’s face, and squishes her cheeks. She looks uncomfortable, and rather unsightly with all the caked on enhancements.

“Do you ever wanna play a prank on your friends? Like, LOL I just seran wrapped the toilet. Or LOL, I caught your house on fire. Or LOL, your moms pregnant with my child. Or, my favorite, LOL, welcome to the killing game!”

  
  
**Students Remaining: 10**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This chapter is a lot. I'm super sorry for the missed update-date, I had a convention this weekend and got hit with a little stomach bug all at the same time, and it was super mismatched :(  
> Either way, here's the first part of the new chapter, a few days late.  
> I hope everyone's having a good spring recess! See you all Thursday! <3 <3 <3


	23. Chapter Four: Smells Like Teen Despair (PART II)

There was frantic knocking at my door.

As first it was a slam, then many pats. There was a mumble on the other side. Another slam, and the sound of a panicked voice, “Oh God, please don’t be dead.”

I buttoned my cardigan, and approached the door. The knocking continued, the voice still murmuring, “Please, please don’t be dead…”

I opened the door to see Oda’s stressed face light up in momentary thanks, before slacking into her usual unhappy look and saying, “Why weren’t you at the tents?”

I completely forgot. I looked at my analog clock, still an hour fast, and said, “Sorry, I fell asleep.”

“It’s fine… You should see Mitsuo. His stomach was in his shoes.”

“Oh.”

“Just… don’t scare us like that. Everyone was there but you,” Oda crossed her arms. She was already in her jammies.

“Lemme put my pajamas on,” I said, “You can, uh, come in if you want.”

She came in, and sat at the foot of my bed. I fished through my clean laundry for the pajamas Ami let me borrow.

“Why did you come to get me?” I asked, “Not that I mind, just… I’d expect Mitsuo or Ami or…”

“Because I did,” she crossed her arms, “We didn’t want another panty-thing happening with Mitsuo… And, well, I’m your tent buddy.”

“My tent buddy,” I said, “Yeah, why’d you do that, anyway?”

“Because... “ she shifted uncomfortably, “I reevaluated my trust in everyone… And it only made me realize that you’re the only person at this camp I can trust.” She looked ashamed to have said it.

“Me?” I looked at her, “You trust _me_ the _most_?”

“Yes.”

“Not Shun or Ginko?”

“They’re both impulsive. Ginko lets rage drive her more than anything. Shun’s sort of a chauvinist.”

“What about Narumi?”

“Though she doesn’t claim to… she’s judging everyone. Part of me thinks that she has things figured out before we are even close.”

“Uh, Ami?”

“I don’t know her,” Oda shrugged, “I bet she’s nice, but… I can’t put any trust in her.”

“I mean, I’m flattered, I guess,” I shrugged, grabbing a pillow from my bed and heading toward the door, “But… It’s not hard to put a little trust in everyone.”

“That’s another reason I wanted to be around you,” Oda followed me.

“To learn how to trust?” It was almost heartwarming, that revelation.

“No,” she said, stony, “To keep you from getting killed.”

_Oh._

We walked back to the tents, and Oda shouted, “She’s ok. She just forgot.”

Mitsuo looked more relieved than anyone. He hugged me, “God, I was so scared someone killed you.”

“Uh, no, I’m, uh, fine.”

He released me almost the instant he realized I was taken aback by the contact, “I’m- Yeah, I’m glad.”

“Anyways,” Oda stretched, “We should all hit the hay. We’ll wake up in the morning, and talk about what else we can do to avoid those bodies.”

Everyone agreed, and we all went to sleep. I laid down the the tent next to Oda, who stayed sitting up.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” I whispered.

“I’m going to make sure everyone else is asleep first,” she hugged her knees to her chest, “For Ami and Gon’s sakes.”

“Oh,” I whispered, “Hey Oda?”

“What?”

“You’re a good person,” I whispered in goodnight to her, before rolling over.

There was silence from her for awhile, and then she whispered, “Thanks.”

 

I woke up to my tablet cheering out the morning announcement: “Goooood morning happy campers! It is now 8AM and nighttime is officially over! All rooms are now accessible. Have a wonderful day!”

I unzipped the tent to find all tents but one zipped up. I peeked into the zipped tent to find Takumi still just waking up.

“Takumi,” I whispered, “Where’s Zuzu?”

His head flashed to its side, and then he said, “Where’s Zuzu?”

“That’s what I just asked.”

“But where _is_ he?” he sat up, “I didn’t even hear him leave!”

“I guess he was quiet,” I looked around, “All tents are zipped up, I don’t think he’s been hurt… Or hurt anyone. I’ll be back, if people come looking for me, just tell them I went to the dining hall, okay?”

“Okay,” Takumi said, a little bit of worry in his eyes, “Be safe, okay?”

“Of course.”

I knew where Zuzu would be. I walked back to the cabin hall with my hands over my nose and mouth. Smelling my own dragon breath was better than the overpowering smell of death.

But Zuzu wasn’t there.

I tried to keep my eyes down, to make it to the dining hall without seeing any bodies, but the minute I saw Cho’s melted sneakers, I looked up at her. She was leathery, blistered, reddened. Her face was still, and her eyes were closed. At least she wasn’t in pain anymore. I had to force myself to look back down.

I headed back to the dining hall to discover its emptiness. I immediately started to feel a doomed feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Until I saw him, leaving the equipment room.

“Zuzu!” I shouted. He was holding wet looking yarn.

“Oh, sup Sen?” He nodded at me with his head, unable to move his hands, holding the copious amounts of yarn. I approached him.

“Hey, what’s the yarn for?”

“Oh, this shit?” He looked at it once more, “It’s pretty, huh?”

I suppose it was. It was a vibrant, pastel pink. It looked like the type of wool someone would knit for a mother expecting a girl.

They reeked, however.

“I soaked them in some liquid in the equipment room,” he shrugged, “I’m trying to do anything to cover up the smell of death.”

“Oh,” I said, “That’s nice. Everyone was worried about you having left.”

“Oh, legit,” he nodded, “I just couldn’t sleep thinkin’ about Beeks… And everyone else.”

“I understand.”

“The pink is also super dope,” he nodded. His attitude of dopey DJ was in full effect. I wondered if it was lack of sleep, “So maybe it’ll beautify shit a little.”

“Hey, Zu,” I said, “It’s okay to not want to look at the bodies. It’s… Well, it’s sad. It is put there to make us sad. You’re not disrespecting anyone if you put your head down,” I tried to offer comfort. I held his shoulder.

He smiled at me, and said, “Nah, I like to look at Hibiki. I like to pretend that… That Noboru checked.”

I frowned, and gave his shoulder a squeeze. He nodded at me, and said, “I’m gonna go hang these up.”

“How about I make you breakfast? So when you’re done beautifying, it’ll be ready… What sounds good?”

“Oh shit Sen,” Zuzu lit up, “That’d be real cool. How about I help you make it for everyone when I’m all done. How’s American sound? Eggs, bacon, pancakes?”

“Sure,” I shrugged.

“God, you’re a nice girl Sen,” Zuzu sighed, “You’re like Sunshine. Ha, Senshine! That’s good, I’ma start callin you that.”

_Senshine._

_The man in my dream called me Senshine, just after kissing me._

_Was it Azumamaro? There was… no way._

“Ha, yeah, I’m gonna… I’m gonna go start that breakfast.”

My face was furiously pink, and horribly hot. There was no way I… dated Zuzu in high school… If, and only if, my dream was a repressed memory. I had nothing in common with him. I had nothing to talk to him about. He was just… Zuzu.

I cracked eggs over pancake batter into a giant mixing bowl to try to distract myself. I just stood there, mumbling, “Senshine? I can’t believe it’s him. That makes no sense and-”

“Sen?”

“Ah!” I turned around, holding the whisk in defense. It was Mitsuo.

“Hey, whoa, don’t… whisk me to death. You were just… talking to yourself.”

“Oh, ha, yeah,” I retracted the whisk, “I just- Ha, whoops.”

“Are you ok?” His eyebrows raised.

“No, yeah!” I shook my head, “I just- You know, with all the stuff that’s going on- And, I’m making breakfast!”

“Looks… like it,” Mitsuo took of his coat, and threw it on a chair in the kitchen, “Need help?”

“Uh, sure! Do you do American?” I asked.

“Oh hell yeah,” Mitsuo took out pans from a cabinet, “That’s basically all I know how to cook. Remember, I made everyone American the day after the first trial.”

I had slept in. But I remembered Ami brought me a tray. I smiled, “That was from you?”

“Oh yeah, you didn’t get up… understandably,” Mitsuo frowned, “but I had to make sure you ate.”

“So you fed me?” I smiled at him. He reached past me to grab eggs. In the back of my mind, I wished the man in my dream was Mitsuo. I, actually, just automatically assumed it was him. To even think it was Zuzu was… well, disappointing.

“I couldn’t let you get depressed,” he frowned, “I know what it’s like to have shitty days and- You know, starting a morning off right like that… It’s a good way to know that you’re cared about.”

My face felt hot again. Mitsuo turned the stove on, melting a copious amount of butter on the pan.

“Do you think scram-”

“I care about you too,” I interrupted, without thinking. I covered my mouth, and said, “I’m sorry! Oh my God! What were you asking?”

He looked surprised for a moment, and then stopped, and let his face of surprise melt into a smile. He said, “I was going to ask if you think scrambled eggs are good enough for everyone.”

“Oh, ha, yeah.”

He started cracking eggs into another large mixing bowl. Together, we began to make breakfast, the range large enough that we didn’t need to stand immediately next to one another in the awkward silence.

“You know that I-”

“Senshine!” Zuzu burst in the room, “You cookin- Oh, Mitsuo.”

Mitsuo turned, “Hey Zuzu.”

“You got eggs covered?” he asked.

I nodded at him, and said, “And I got pancakes covered.”

He opened the large fridge, and pulled out three pounds of bacon, “Three pounds should be good enough, right?”

Mitsuo nodded.

“Tight,” Zuzu placed himself between us on the stove, laying down a griddle.

And in the silence that branched from Zuzu’s distrust of Mitsuo, the silence that branched from my embarrassed interruption, the silence that branched from Mitsuo’s unfinished sentence, we made breakfast for ten.

Everyone was extremely appreciative of breakfast. They all seemed to light up once more. And there was more than enough for Shun, Zuzu, and Takumi to put on an eating contest with the leftovers.

Takumi, the leanest and smallest of the three, won by a long shot.

After breakfast I walked around, and found Narumi alone standing at the trailhead.

I caught up with her, “Narumi, where you headed off to?”

“I was going to actual go to the sauna,” she crossed her arms, “but I’m not sure. What if Ginko needs me?”

“How about if I join you?” I asked, “Ginko’s been put in a good mood from breakfast, and she’s got Shun… You deserve a break.”

“That was very nice of you to make breakfast with Zuzu and Mitsuo,” Narumi said, making her first step toward the trail, “I think that’s what Zuzu needs right now. Good friends to help him cope with the loss of a, er, good friend.”

“Yeah.”

“I wish he hadn’t made you read the poem Hibiki wrote,” she sighed, “I’m guessing it made him all the more guilty.”

“Wh- How’d you know?”

“The crush was very unrequited. I don’t think Zuzu has those… complex feelings much at all, let alone for anyone here. I’m sorry, am I being rude?”

“No, you’re just- You’re right is all.”

“I know,” she frowned.

I thought about what Oda said. I was afraid it was coming true.

“Do you have us all figured out, then?”

“Well, as impulsive and irrational as we can all be,” she took a deep breath, “it's not that hard to understand the patterns people go through, especially when concerning loss.”

“Aren’t there like, six stages or whatever?”

“The five stages of grief,” she nodded, “Right now… I’d say Zuzu is in the first stage, denial. I don’t blame him. It was only a few days ago. Ginko is in the second stage, anger. Gon, is in the fourth stage, depression. And you-”

“Me?”

“You lost Cho. You’re… This is just a guess, mind you, but you seem like you’re still in the first stage. You haven’t let yourself ruminate on the death of Cho. You’ve just spent time with people to fill the void that Cho’s death created, correct?”

“Wh-”

“You have dreams about her. And seeing her in the corridor almost makes you feel good, if only for a moment. And when you spend time with others, you think about her, is that correct?”

“But I- I know she’s dead! I’m not in denial.”

“I know you’re not in denial that she’s dead. You’re in denial of your feelings toward her death.”

My face scrunched in confusion. I wasn’t sure what to say.

We were silent for the rest of the walk, her admiring the trees and complexity of the forest, and me, stewing in my psychoanalysis.

We arrived at the spa, and we stripped down to towels and entered the sauna. Together we sat in silence for a moment, until Narumi asked, “Did I offend you?”

“No,” I lied, “I just- Do you have tabs on everyone? It just feels like the first day, when you tore Ginko down.”

“I didn’t intend to tear you down. I just wanted to inform you on what I thought about your relationship with Cho’s death.”

“Do you have everyone figured out?”

“I mean, the easy stuff, sure.”

“What’s the easy stuff?” I asked.

“Zuzu feels guilty it wasn’t him. Gon feels guilty that he wanted to kill us all for Haruka, more than he feels guilty that Haruka was punished for what she did. Ginko is angry that she didn’t get a goodbye with Afu. Mitsuo-”

“Have you figured out his talent?”

She smiled, “I haven’t the faintest idea.”

“Oh,” I tried to hide my disappointment, “What were you going to say about Mitsuo?”

“He’s… He’s denied talking to me… Getting any sort of counseling… But I think Mitsuo is horribly depressed.”

“ _What?_ ” I leaned forward, “What do you mean ‘horribly depressed’? He always seems fine to me!”

“He’s brave,” she smiled sadly, “He puts on a nice face for you, and everyone else. But when he’s not needed somewhere… He stays in his room all day. I don’t know if it’s him not knowing his purpose, a clinical ailment, or… perhaps the game, but-”

“Why wouldn’t he tell me?” I asked, “I’m his best friend!”

“Because you’re his best friend, and you’re in a killing game,” she said, “I assume he thinks you have enough to worry about.”

“I- I- How do I get him to open up to me?”

“I’m not sure he will open up to you,” she frowned, “All you have to do is treat lightly, but confront him. Be willing to listen to him, and tell him to come to me if he is willing to find out what’s next.”

I frowned, “I never saw any symptoms.”

“Don’t blame yourself! Sen, I have to be honest with you,” she frowned, “The idea of him… being depressed, him talking to me… It came to me in a dream a few nights ago. It just… Appeared, and then all the evidence became so apparent. Everything about him. He’s willing to push people out of his life on a whim so they stop caring about him, he has an uneven cycle of eating and sleeping, he thinks of himself as useless if he doesn't figure out of his talent… They’re all warning signs.”

I laced my fingers together, “Can I ask you something else?”

“Of course.”

“Do you have the trials figured out before everyone else?”

“Of course not,” she looked slightly offended, “I try my hardest when it comes to trials, but, if I’m being honest, the death aspect shakes me so bad that it’s hard for me to focus. Have you ever heard the saying _Every therapist has a therapist?_ ”

“Yeah.”

“Well, the same goes for counselors. Just because I understand how my friends work, doesn’t mean I know how I work,” she laughed, “I can talk someone through their personal grief, but I cannot handle loss myself.”

“I’m sorry for asking… I was just curious,” I sunk a little. She looked at me with a kind smile that only a counselor could posses.

“Sen, I know you mean no harm.”

 _That’s good_ , I thought. We sat in the sauna and relaxed for a while more.

We parted ways. Narumi greeted Ginko and Oda who were headed to the archery range.

I headed back to camp, hoping I could catch Mitsuo somewhere.

I headed to his cabin, and knocked on the door, “Mitsuo, it’s Sen.”

I waited a moment, and then the door opened, “Hey, sorry, i was taking a nap. You okay?”

All I could do was hug him.

“Ha, uh, good to see you too,” he pat my back.

“Mitsuo,” I let him go, “We’re best friends, right?”

“Of course!”

“And… I would tell you anything. Anything you need to know-”

“Yeah! And same to you-”

“Then, are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“No, I mean, _okay_.”

“I don’t follow,” he looked at me vacantly.

“You, uh, sleep a lot, and you skip dinner sometimes… And you isolate yourself a lot and-”

“Oh,” Mitsuo stopped me, “Have you been talking to Narumi?”

“No,” I lied, but gave in, “Yes.”

“She keeps wanting me to talk to her,” he put his hands on his hips, “I just can’t… burden her with whatever’s going on in my head.”

“You wouldn’t be a burden!” I held his hands, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Sen, it’s just general anxiety about the game, and everything that happened to me prior that I can’t remember. It makes me feel useless-”

“You’re not useless!” I argued, “You don’t have to have any talent to be my, or anyone’s friend!”

“Sen, it’s really okay,” he looked me in the eye, “Narumi’s exaggerating. I get sad sometimes, but… everyone does.”

“Then… Answer me this, why did you stop talking to me after Haruka’s death?” I asked him, “You told me you’d tell me if I wanted to know. Was it because you wanted me to stop caring about you?”

He laughed slightly, and shook his head, “No, silly, it was so I stopped caring about you.”

“Why-”

“Because I saw what Gon did, and I sympathized with him one hundred percent. I would- I would do the same if it meant you were safe.”

My face wrinkled up, and his did in reaction to mine, “What?”

“That doesn’t help your case!” I argued, “I want you to feel and be safe. Why don’t you talk to Narumi?”

“I don’t want to,” he shrugged, “I don’t feel the need to. I think you’re over exaggerating-”

“I think you’re under-exaggerating!” I combed my fingers through my hair, “This isn’t healthy! I want you to be safe.”

He held both of my hands in his, gently, and whispered, “I’m safe. Okay? I’m safe. Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m not going anywhere. How’s that sound?”

I swallowed, “You promised we’d make it out together-”

“And I intend to deliver, as long as we are friends,” he squeezed my hands.

“I’ll always be your friend Mitsuo,” I could feel my emotions bubble, “That’s why I’m worried.”

“I’m okay, okay?”

“Okay.”

He bit his lip, “But I appreciate you- Thanks for checking up on me.”

“I want you to tell me when somethings up,” I said, “I don’t want to find out from someone else that you’re sad.”

He hugged me, bringing my head into his chest, and resting his chin at the top of my head. We stood there for a moment, hugging, and then he asked, “Do you want to watch a movie in the treehouse?”

I looked up at him, still in his arms, and he looked down at me. Our faces were inches apart, and I became suddenly aware of it. I slightly pushed out of his arms, laughing, “I’m- ah, yeah, sure.”

Mitsuo and I took a walk together and ended up at the treehouse. He admitted to me that he always wanted a treehouse in his backyard, but he didn’t have trees big enough.

I admitted I used to watch a tree house renovation show with my mom, before all this. The treehouse we were given looked a lot like one of those treehouses.

I hadn’t gotten to watch something on a screen in what felt like years. We were deprived of television and video games from the beginning of our residency there. I let Mitsuo pick the movie, and he did well: a movie about a princess forced into something wicked, only to be saved by her true love, disguised by a mask and weilding a sword. It was very silly, and a little campy, but overall I was warmed to know Mitsuo liked such movies.

By the end of the movie, I was curled into Mitsuo’s side. His hands shook every once in awhile, and he shifted his arm. I was waiting for him to put his arm around me, but to no avail.

He stretched, yawning loudly, and obviously fake, trying to stretch his arm over my shoulder, but halfway through the rather stupid move, the door opened.

Mitsuo jumped, and turned around. It was Zuzu.

“Hey!” Zuzu looked surprised to see us, “Why’re all the lights off?” He flipped the switch. The credits just began to roll, “Oh, movie time, tight.”

“Uh,” Mitsuo wiped his palms off on his jeans, “What’re you doing up here?”

“I wanted to check out the kitchenette,” Zuzu said, already rifling through drawers. He had a plastic bag with him.

“What’s the bag for?” I asked, standing up to check it out.

“Oh,” he opened it up and raised it to his face to look inside, “Skewers, chocolate, marshmallows. I wanted to make s’mores at the bonfire tonight… Actually,” he tied the back closed, “Can you let everyone know I wanna meet in front of my cabin in like- An half an hour?”

“Me?” I asked, “Why in front of your cabin?”

“I need help carrying equipment,” he said. He opened the drawer, “Sick, they do have one.” He pulled out a long necked lighter, “I can’t start fires myself. I bet Oda or something could, but I’d rather have the fire goin’ before we start carrying equipment over.”

“That’s fun that you’re organizing this,” Mitsuo slowly approached, “It’s really cool of you, Zu.”

“Yeah,” he just looked at Mitsuo with disappointed eyes, “Real cool.”

Mitsuo looked uncomfortable, so he just shrugged.

“Alright,” Zuzu shrugged, “I’m gonna go ask Monokuma if there’s any graham crackers… I think he’d know.”

“Okay, uh,” I looked at him, and awkwardly pat his shoulder, “be safe.”

Mitsuo couldn’t help but make a confused face. Zuzu pat my head, and headed out.

“So…” Mitsuo clapped his hands in front of him, then behind him, “What’s with you and him?”

I laughed, “What do you mean?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged, “You guys buddies?”

“I mean, yeah. I try to be friends with everyone here.”

“But uh,” he shrugged, “Do you like him?”

I let out a loud _ha_ , and said, “Mitsuo, Zuzu is not my type, nor am I his type. I think we just get along because… Well, maybe we have history that explains it better than… anything else.”

“What do you think his type is?”

I shrugged, “Party girl.”

“What’s, er, your type?”

I smiled bashfully. This flirting was blatant. I stopped for a moment, and thought about the man who kissed the nape of my neck and called me his _Senshine_. I licked my lips and asked, “Hey, uh, Mitsuo?”

“What?” he was already turning pink, assumingly afraid he was being called out.

“Would you ever call me Senshine?”

“ _Senshine_?” he laughed, “Isn’t that kinda, uh, cheesy? I mean, I’d call you it if you want me to but-”

“No, no,” I stopped him, “Don’t. I was-”

“I mean, you’re more than sunshine,” he admitted, absently snapping his fingers, not maintaining eye contact with me, “You’re, uh, the whole thing. The radiant star.”

I felt giddy laughter bubble inside me. I tapped my knuckle against him and said, “ _That_ was cheesy.”

“I try, I try,” he grabbed his jacket, “You wanna head over to the library area to flag some people down for Zuzu’s event?”

“Yeah, I think Oda, Narumi, and Ginko might be there,” I made a gesture of firing an arrow, “Playing with weapons.”

“Yikes, well let’s go let them know,” he said, but before he could I stopped him.

“Hey, uh, I wanted to give you something.”

He threw his head back, slightly exasperated, “No more gifts! I have nothing to give you!”

“No, really, I, uh,” I fished the gold origami paper out of my bag, “I want you to make me something else, with this paper. It’s really pretty, and it reminds me of you. And, well, I’ve never seen you have so much fun with a task as making the origami hearts with me,” I smiled at him, “It’s all reflective gold, and will turn out really pretty if you can make like, a swan or something.”

He looked at it, and the gold of the packet reflected in his eyes, “I’ll make you _one thousand_ stars, Sen! Thank you so much!”

“Hey, it’s nothing, really-”

“No, it means a lot. It’s not nothing that you thought of me when you pick something out. It means… More than just the present. It means I’m on your mind.”

I laughed nervously. I wouldn’t admit he was on my mind more than I’d like, but the feeling was pretty obviously up in the air. I nodded and said, “Well, let’s go then.”

Going down the stairs was fine, but going down the rope ladder was pretty scary. I was leagues behind Mitsuo as he conquered the ladder with ease.

“It’s okay, you’re almost there,” he called after me.

“Shut up!” I called down to him. I didn’t like having to look down to know where my foot should go. All I saw was the distance.

It was okay. I was able to make it down fine, just Mitsuo had to wait on me a little longer.

He and I watched Oda, Ginko, and Narumi finish up their time at the archery range. Ginko completely annihilated them with a few bullseyes and no misses. Ginko was pretty okay at it herself, being completely new to the sport. Narumi was more about the experience of it all, and missed quite a few times.

We told them about the bonding experience that Zuzu wanted us to meet at the front of his cabin for. Everyone agreed it’d be nice to build up some sort of moral, and we headed over. Narumi smiled knowingly at me, seeing I had spent the time after seeing her with Mitsuo, and I looked down at the ground.

_Probably more psychoanalysis._

The five of us were a rather weird group, but actually had more in common than we thought. We talked about school before Hope’s Peak, and our families. Mitsuo went to a school that specialized in theatre. He never went on stage, because he wasn’t very good. Oda talked about her two baby half-sisters, and how she missed their giggles. Narumi talked about how she had a therapist in middle school that was the woman who really drove her into counseling. She liked figuring out people’s problems, and fixing them. Ginko talked about her brothers, all Hope’s Peak alumni, and how they went on to be wildly successful, and how she hoped she’d follow in their footsteps. I talked about my friends Hana and Yuiko, and how they were so excited for me to get into Hope’s Peak, because they heard so much about it.

I sometimes forgot, under all the ultimate labels, we were all kids.

We arrived at the trailhead, where Ami, Takumi, Gon, and Shun stood. Shun asked, “Hey, there they are.”

“What?” Ginko asked.

“Y’all seen Zuzu?” Ami frowned, “He told us to meet him at the trailhead around now.”

“Oh, that’s weird,” I looked around at the lot of us, sans one DJ, “He told us to meet at his cabin. Maybe he got the directions confused. He said he needed help with equipment.”

“Makes sense,” Takumi shrugged, “Let’s head to him.”

The nine of us walked to Zuzu’s cabin, to find Zuzu sitting, his back against one of the poles that supported the bodies of our friends. He looked awfully sweaty, his whole body drenched and glossy. The wood of the pole was stained darker, soaked in liquid. His arms were free, but his torso was duct taped to the pole, crinkling awkwardly. It was obvious he had done it himself. His face lit up when he saw us, and he stared forward, smiling and locking eyes with the lot of us. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “ _He deserved better!_ ”

And in an instant, his hand squeezed, igniting long lighter that was in his right hand against his soaking jeans, and immediately, Zuzu burst into flames.

Takumi screamed, “ _Zuzu!_ ” as he watched it happen, but it was so fast. It was all so fast.

We ran toward him, but the fire grew, climbing up the pole, and igniting the acrylic yarn that had been soaked in, assumingly, gasoline. The bodies ignited furiously as well, and above our screams, we could hear Zuzu’s voice pushing though the pain, “ _THEY DESERVED BETTER!_ ”

Takumi didn’t care; he ran to Zuzu, but Shun caught him, collapsing the both of them to the ground. Takumi screamed, his throat hoarse, “ _Zuzu, please!_ ”

There was no saving our DJ who had become a ball of flame.

Our tablets let out an alarming sound, followed by the words, “A rule has been broken!”

The fat, black and white bear came running behind us, shouting, “This violates rule eight! This violates rule eight!”

“ _THEY DESERVED BETTER!”_ was all Zuzu responded with.

“ _Don’t leave me!_ ” Takumi begged.

“You know what happens when- Shit,” the bear panicked, noticing the bodies were already too far alight to be salvaged, “You will be punished for this!”

In the crackling roar of the fire, we could hear the wood supports creak, completely engulfed.

One of the poles gave in, scatting hot ash and toppling the disturbing art piece that the bear had created for us. The bodies of our friends collapsed upon the DJ, but right before, we heard his voice in dire pain, “ _THEY DESERVED-”_

He was cut off. Monokuma looked at the pit of fire and then back to us, “Don’t just stand there! Your rooms will go up in flames!”

“They deserved better,” Ginko said, quieted by the roar of the fire.

Gon agreed with her, shouting louder, “They deserved better!”

I felt Mitsuo clasp my hand as he shouted the same.

Ami took my other hand, and shouted the words again.

_They deserved better!_

_They deserved better!_

_They deserved better!_

I could feel the fire hot at my feet. As the heat filled my lungs, and incinerated the bodies of my passed friends, I too, shouted, “ _They deserved better!_ ”

I could hear all of our voices, screaming, crying, we were at the edge of the fire that was turning our friends to coal, and could feel the heat lap at our feet and faces.

We were not afraid to die.

In fact, we were okay with it, if that was how we went.

“ _They_ -”

And then sirens.

They blared from a comically small fire truck, driven by Gurekuma, drowning out our screams. She hopped off the truck, pulled out the fire hose, and blasted a stream of water from the truck that seemed absolutely impossible. It absolutely flooded the fire, putting the whole thing out, and flooding at our feet.

It was almost an instant, and Zuzu, his hard work, our friends: all gone.

Monokuma stood in front of us, more disappointed than the night we tried to escape. He looked, for a bear whose face hardly changed, livid. He put his hands on his small hips and yelled, “Are you happy?”

None of us replied.

“You could’ve gotten killed!”

“Isn’t that the goal?” Mitsuo barked, “Don’t you want us dead?”

“I want a game!” Monokuma barked, “And that was cheating!” He kicked the pile of smouldering sludge that was our friends and their exposed bodies.

“So what, no body discovery announcement?” Oda asked.

“No, the idiot killed himself, in front of everyone,” Monokuma complained, “I don’t need a trial for that! Plus,” he looked down at the pile, “Do you see a body?”

Takumi was sobbing.

I felt bad for him. He lost the two people he was closest with in a few days.

“God, Gurekuma’s going to have to clean this all up,” the bear slapped his forehead, “She’s going to be up all night.”

“Wh-Wha?”

“Shame on you all!” Monokuma scolded, “You know what? I don’t have another motive prepared right now so… All of you, to the cabins! No dinner, no fun, no nothing! It is officially night time!”

The sun was barely setting.

“Now!” he shouted.

I was the only one who flinched. Ami but Ami tightened her grip on my hand.

“Did the fire deafen you shits? I said _now!_ ”

The only movement was Takumi shaking with his sobs.

“Fine, how about I get out the Monobeasts?”

Mitsuo swallowed. I shifted my weight on my legs.

“Don’t make me get out the wheel!”

Ami let go of my and Oda’s hands and said, “We- We have to. He won’t kill us. He’ll just torture us.”

Oda nodded. I let go of Mitsuo’s hand, but his grip held tight.

“Hey,” Shun whispered, holding all of Takumi, “Come on bud… Let’s get you to your room.”

Takumi was overwhelmed with sorrow. Shun lifted him to his legs, and forced him to walk.

“Mitsuo-”

“Goodnight, Sen,” Mitsuo squeezed my hand, and then released it. He walked past me, toward his room.

I took one last look at the pile of burnt bodies, containing one more than last night, and headed to my room with no supper, like a punished child.

From my windows, I watched Monokuma stand by, comatose, and Gurekuma clean up. Slowly but surely, she scooted the charred bodies into the boat. Once the whole mess was scooted onto the boat, she drove it out to the middle of the lake, and much light the first night at camp, she dumped the trash overboard.

Monokuma only started to move again once Monobeasts and Junk Monokuma began patrolling the corridor. He talked to them, they seemed to listen, and then he walked away as they patrolled.

I got to watch the sky go dark, and my body slowly decompose into my sheets. I sort of wished the fire consumed us all; we wouldn’t have to suffer. But… I was also glad that everyone left was… well, left.

And then it hit me.

Zuzu was there, and then he was gone.

I didn’t know how to feel. Zuzu was a wonderful friend, a cheery guy, someone who was shrouded in the dreamy mystery of our erased pasts, and, suddenly, he was a martyr. He died so we didn’t have to suffer anymore. He went up in flames to make sure that the motive didn’t work anymore, that the motive didn’t make us suffer.

“Thank you Zuzu,” I whispered, pulling my knees to my chest. And, for what felt like the millionth time since I arrived at camp, I cried.

I felt helpless to anything else but my emotions, first, sobbing, then, when my eyes ran dry, all I could do was scream. I screamed into my pillow, doubling over on my bed, and letting the voice fall out of me. I was angry, I was scared, I was mourning.

I couldn’t sleep, now matter how hard I tried.

There wasn’t a lot I could do, confined to a room all night. I sat there, staring at my ceiling, until I heard a crash outside. I ran to the window, to see one of the junky monsters forcing one of its spider-like arms into Mitsuo’s open window. I didn’t know what to do but watch. I watched the window slowly be rattled open as the monster tried to force its way in. I watched in horror, until Mitsuo’s front door opened.

I locked eyes with him as he peeked his head out, and let the monster crawl fully inside before slamming the door behind him. He let the junk monster force itself completely in his room, before slamming the window on it and making a run for my room. I saw the direction he was going, and I opened the door just as he reached it, slamming it behind him.

“What the hell happened?” was all I could ask.

“I left my window open,” he huffed, “and that thing is probably hungry.”

“That’s- Are you okay?” I looked at him. He looked just fine.

“I’m okay, I’m breathing,” he laughed, “my room is…”

“Just,” I shrugged, “I’ll sleep on the couch thingy.” I pointed to the seat by my dresser, “You can take the bed. I don’t mind.”

“I don’t-”

“You chose my room,” I raised my eyebrow at him, “unless you want to go back outside.”

“I’ll take the chair,” he laughed, “Unless you wanna have a sleepover.”

I laughed, and sat on the edge of my bed, “You wanna talk about boys?”

“Oh hell yeah,” he laid on his stomach on the ground.

Mitsuo and I actually did talk about boys, for a moment, we talked about actors, then movies, then books. Mitsuo knew a lot of comedies, and comedians. He really liked to make people laugh.

I told him I liked romantic movies, and shoujo manga and he smiled with his head in his hands, “I know.”

“How did you know?” I laughed.

“One,” he listed, “You’re a teenage girl. Two, you’re a teenage girl who performs weddings. Meaning, you’re a highly romantic teenage girl.”

“You’re such a jerk,” I rolled on my back.

“I mean, we’re all pretty typical,” he counted on his fingers, “Takumi looks like he likes mecha shit, or maybe some hero stuff. Ami probably likes slice of life stuff, maybe some romance. Shun is probably… hot women in tight spandex,” he laughed, “And Zuzu likes- er…”

“Zuzu… liked fun things and- I’m gonna miss him,” I couldn’t finish any sentence but me praising him.

“He did- He did what he thought he had to,” Mitsuo combed back his hair, “I just wish he didn’t think he had to.”

“Me too,” I sighed, “I- There’s nine of us left.”

Mitsuo looked shocked at this statement, and I couldn’t help but returning to tears.

“Nine,” my voice shook, “seven are- Seven people are dead.”

“B-But nine people are left,” he tried.

“Nine… Only nine.” He sat beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and let me cry.

I didn’t remember falling asleep.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

"M-Monokuma... My skin burns," Gurekuma begins to choke as Monokuma pats on another layer of foundation. 

"Burns?" Monokuma teases, "You don't know what burning feels like! When I was your age, I had to march through the flames of hell just to get myself a soda pop!"

"We're the same age!" Gurekuma argues, but Monokuma just cackles and walks away.

 

**Students Remaining: 9**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long-ish chapter where a lot of stuff happens!  
> There was supposed to be art, and I might go back and add it, just right now I am about 300 miles from home, and I forgot my tablet! So no art now :(  
> ALSO, theres no "Students Remaining" lineup, because my new computer does not have clip studio paint on it yet! So I can't fix the lineup until I get back home on friday! So this chapter will be edited tomorrow! I love you all very, very much!!! Have a good weekend!


	24. Chapter Four: Smells Like Teen Despair (PART III)

I woke up to the morning announcement, cocooned in my sheets. I decided to sleep just a bit more, falling in and out of waves of consciousness. I was warm, and felt safe from any tragedy I experienced the night before. I wasn’t aware of how long I slept, I didn’t even remember sleeping, but my feet stretched, and my cold toes touched warmth. I jumped slightly at the feeling, looking down to see a lump under my comforter, a mess of blue hair sticking out the end.

Mitsuo slept at the foot of my bed like a dog.

I fully pressed my foot into Mitsuo’s back, and he flinched forward, wincing at how cold my feet were.

“Good morning,” I murmured, “I thought I said I was going to take the couch.”

“Mmm,” Mitsuo stretched, “You cried so hard you fell asleep with all the blankets. I know sleeping in the same bed is kinda of- well, you know, so I decided to sleep at the foot, so I wasn’t imposing on your space.”

“You could’ve woken me up!” I sat up fully, “I wouldn’t have minded splitting the blankets!”

“I’m sorry,” he rolled over, “Did this make you uncomfortable?”

“No!” I paused, “Just- I feel bad. Did you sleep okay?”

“I slept great,” he scratched the side of his face, “it was warm.”

I pressed my cold feet to his chest. He screamed and scampered out of bed, “God, why are your toes so cold? You’re like ice!”

I pulled the blankets over me. I was in my pajamas. Mitsuo was in his jeans still, and his shirt was in his hands. Suddenly aware that he’d removed his shirt, he put it on and said, “How about we get dressed, and get some breakfast in us?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, and whispered, “Ha, yeah.”

“Lemme just put my shoes on,” he smiled at me, and fumbled with the ties on his shoes.

I went to the bathroom to change into my clothes, but I stood there, with my back against the wall for a second. I felt a groan resonate from deep within me, and I said, “No, no, no.”

I tilted my head back, feeling a fragile fluttering in my chest. I leaned over the sink, splashed cold water in my face, and said, “Just… be friends.”

I changed, and came out to see Mitsuo standing next to the door.

“You ready?”

I slipped on my shoes, and nodded at him.

I opened the front door, and was taken aback by our fearful camp leader, Monokuma, standing there with his arms crossed, looking disappointed.

“Ah, uh, why-”

“Move, we want breakfast,” Mitsuo tried to push past him, but Monokuma just stepped in his way.

He just stared at us.

Finally, I asked, “What?”

“I grounded you,” Monokuma said, “And then you go behind my back to **** and ****? Not to mention all the ****!” I didn’t know what words he censored himself. All I could hear was a loud and irritating  _ beep _ .

“We just slept,” Mitsuo shouted.

“Aha! So you did sleep together!” Monokuma was sweating, “Aren’t you guys a little young-”

“You’re being irritating,” I said, “Can Mitsuo and I just go eat breakfast?”

Monokuma huffed, making both of us uncomfortable, “Isn’t Mitsuo full from eating-”

“ _ Shut up! _ ” Mitsuo’s cheeks were red. So were mine. He squeezed past the bear, making a point to not touch him, and held his hand out to help me.

Both of our tablets chimed, and Monokuma’s voice expelled from them, “A new rule has been created!”

I looked down at my tablet, and opened to it find rule nine: Girls and boys are not permitted to have sleepovers alone with one another.

I rolled my eyes, and Mitsuo laughed, “We changed the rules.”

“God, let’s just get breakfast, I don’t want to give the bear more reasons to talk to us.”

Inside, everyone was having breakfast, we were the last ones in.

“God, Sen, you’re  _ glowing _ ,” Shun put his head in his hands, “Did something happen last night?”

Ami smacked his arm, “Shut up, dude. We all know why Mitsuo spent the night.”

“You do?” Mitsuo asked.

“Yeah,” Oda said, “This morning we all witnessed Gurekuma have to walk one of those monsters out of your room with a flank steak.”

“The question is,” Shun asked, “What base?”

“You guys suck,” Mitsuo sat down. Ami stood and said, “I’ll make you guys plates.”

“How did the monster get in your room in the first place?” Gon asked.

He shrugged, “I left my window a crack open. It must’ve heard me-”

“And it forced itself in,” Takumi said. He looked like he’d been hit by a train.

I frowned, “How are you holdin’ up, Takumi?”

“I’m not,” Takumi forced himself to laugh, “I’m just going to pretend-”

“That’s the best thing to do,” Gon said.

“Shut the fuck up,” Ginko’s hand slammed on the table.

“Ginko,” Narumi said, “You have many people who are mourning just as you are. Be considerate.”

Ginko grumbled, and crossed her arms, looking away from all of us.

Ami served Mitsuo and I, and returned to her seat. We ate in silence for a moment, until Monokuma slammed the door open, holding orange envelopes.

“Oh great,” Shun rolled his eyes.

“I’m glad you’re all here,” Monokuma stepped up on one of the many empty seats, “I get too tired having to wait for you lame-asses to assemble.”

“Yeah, well, what do you want?”

“I want to give you all a gift,” his voice sounded as if it was trying to be sweet, “for being  _ survivors _ .”

“That’s hardly a winning title,” Takumi held his head up.   
“Oh don’t be so glum!” He laughed, “It could be worse, you could be dead!”

“How is that worse?” Gon asked.

“God, all these drama queens,” Monokuma slapped the envelopes down on the table, “They’ve all got your names on them.”

“What are these really?” Mitsuo grabbed the envelope with his name on them, “Anthrax?”

“Just look at them!” Monokuma rested on his stomach, kicking his legs and holding his head in his hands.

I took the envelope labeled  _ Sen Oshiro _ , and carefully opened the brad sealing it closed. I looked at everyone else, who had their envelopes open, prepared, and said, “I don’t… I don’t really wanna open it.”

“I’m scared,” Gon agreed.

“Then don’t open it,” Monokuma groaned, “See if I care. I was just giving you a gift. You all seemed so glum. It’s not like I- I-” tears rolled down his cheeks, “I care or anything!”

“God, shut up, okay?” Shun yelled at the bear, and pulled the papers out. He looked down at his papers, and flipped through them. His eyes softened, and he lowered his head, “Shit.”

Gon opened his next. The same reaction of frantic shuffling. His eyes scanned a long paper note, and he began to sob. 

My hands shook, and I pulled out my papers. The first thing I saw in my short stack was a picture of my mother, my father, and I standing in front of Hope’s Peak Academy. My mom had tears in her eyes. My dad had his usual stony smile. I was holding up two peace signs and looked like I was looking forward to the time of my life. I shuffled to the next paper. It was a picture of Cho, her arm linked around mine, laughing next to me. Beside her was Joben and Noboru, walking with us. I flipped to the next note, which was a letter from my mom, telling me how proud she was of me. The last photo was a candid of Zuzu and I, him sitting on my desk, offering me an earbud. The last piece of paper was a note, typed in a legible font, that said  _ I will miss you most of all _ .

I looked up at everyone else, who was enamoured in their papers. In the concentration of us all, Monokuma disappeared. Practically everyone looked like they were on the edge of tears. Ginko stood, and screamed loud and frustrated, before marching out of the room.

“Gi-,” Narumi stood, but Shun grabbed her, “Just let her go.”

Narumi sat back down, looking afraid she should be helping.

Takumi whispered, “Are they just… more memories?”

“More memories we can’t remember,” Ami frowned.

“Pictures of loved ones,” Gon sniffled.

“Pictures of classmates,” I said.

“Why don’t we just assemble all our things,” Oda said, throwing her things down in the center of the table.

“This is bullshit,” Mitsuo threw his two things down, “I don’t understand! Did I not go to Hope’s Peak or something? Look at my shit!”

I took his two pieces of paper and looked them over. One was a get-well-soon card, signed by K. Gakusha, and the other was a was a class photo of all of us. One person’s face was burnt out by a lighter completely. It was obvious it was Mitsuo.

“It’s okay,” I rubbed his back, “It’s just Monokuma playing tricks.”

“I got a two love letters from Haruka, a picture of her and I, and a picture of me and Sen,” Gon said.

“I got a picture of Joben and I in the library, a selfie with Afu and Ginko, a letter from my brother, and some anonymous note,” Narumi pulled out the note, it was in the same text as my note, “It says  _ Thank you for everything _ .”

“Thank you…” Gon whispered, “Maybe a patient?”

“I got a picture of Zuzu and I, a picture of Oda and Ginko… I assume taken by me,” Shun pointed at a middle finger in the bottom of the frame, being cut off, “and a letter from my brother.”

“I got a picture of Zu and me and Beeks,” Takumi sniffled, his voice hoarse, “And another picture of Cho and I in the pool, and a note from Zuzu that says  _ Do you think Ami has- _ ” he laughed.

Ami’s face twisted, “Has what?”

“ _ A nice butt _ ,” Takumi laughed through tears that ran down his face, “I replied with a bunch of question marks.”

“Well?” Shun leaned forward.

“The answer is yes,” Ami threw her pictures papers down, “I have a note from Zuzu that says  _ Takumi thinks your butt’s nice _ , a selfie with Cho and I, a group picture of Sen, Cho, Afu and I, and a letter from Cho,” she smiled sadly, “That says  _ Movies tomorrow? _ ”

“I’ve got a picture of Noboru and I petting a pony, a picture of me and my sisters, a thank you card from Joben with a wax seal, and a picture…” she paused, “A picture of my mom.”

I told them what I got. I pointed out that my note matches Narumi’s.

“What about Oda?”

“I can assume a picture of Afu, maybe me, maybe her brothers,” Shun shrugged, “Probably a letter from Afu or something that says  _ Hey, remember me! I died! _ ”

“Shun!” Narumi looked at him with angry eyes.

“It’s a  _ motive _ , Narumi,” Shun said, “It’s supposed to make her sad. It’s supposed to drive her to kill someone. That’s why we were given them. You think Monokuma actually wanted to do something nice?”

“You’re right but,” Ami frowned, “You could be nicer about how you say it.”

“Hey,” Shun said, “We were all given shit that makes us sad. You don’t think I miss Zuzu? Or Afu, or my brother? It’s supposed to make us homicidal, mad, fucking ready for some action. It’s bullshit! I’m allowed to be mean! Because that’s what Monokuma’s expecting from us!” He slammed his hands against the table, “So sorry I’m reacting how fuckin’ humans react! Excuse me!”

“We all experienced something… Something else,” Oda held her head, “I- It’s a motive. It’s a good fucking motive.” She stood up wobbly, “I need to… I need to go.”

Mitsuo also excused himself.

I stood to follow them out, but Shun just cursed at me, “Then of course, perfect Sen is gonna follow after her boyfriend to check if he’s okay when he hasn’t lost anything more than his talent.  _ Boo hoo _ .”

“Don’t be a menace, Shun,” Narumi said, with a frown on her face.

I left, and, despite everyone's assumptions, went to find Ginko. I walked the corridor of the cabins, listened for signs of someone on the other side of her door, but to no avail. I looked at the dock, and the shore of the lake, but she wasn’t there.

I found the door to the laundry room propped open, and I walked in to see her curled on the ground, her head in her knees.

“Gin-,” I began, but she didn’t lift her head, “ko?”

I knelt by her body, and put my hand on her shoulder. Her head flew up, “Don’t touch me!”

I was so glad she wasn’t dead.

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“Leave me alone!” she barked, “I don’t wanna talk to you, or Narumi, or anyone!”

“Hey, hey,” I sat beside her, “I just wanted to make sure you are okay.”

“I want to be alone!” She forced herself to stand, “I don’t need anyone telling me how or why I should grieve! I don’t want anyone telling me I should be acting more calm! I don’t want anyone to tell me I’m irrational! I just want to be alone!” She forced me up by the arm, “So get out! Get out!  _ Get out _ !”

With each word she make me walk toward the door, then finally, as I was outside the laundry room, she slammed the door in my face. 

“I just- Be safe okay?” I said through the door. It felt weird saying that; I said that to Zuzu before he- I didn’t even know what to call it.

Was it suicide? Or martyrdom?

Both, maybe.

I sighed. I couldn’t handle it happening to Ginko, or anyone else. I didn’t know how to handle another murder. The worst part was, as sad as I was about Zuzu, and Hibiki, and Noboru and everyone else that had been lost to the game… I was slowly becoming numb to the death.

Zuzu was gone, and I didn’t feel like I could mourn much. All I could do was hope I didn’t lose anyone else.

So I checked on Oda.

I knocked at her door with my middle knuckle, knowing she had gone in there. I said from behind the door, “Oda… It’s me, Sen. I just wanted to check to see if you were okay.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Oda’s voice came from the other side, weak and sad, “I think I want to be alone for awhile…”

“Are, uh, are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to-”

“Be alone?” I asked.

“Yeah. I think it’s best this way.”

“Okay,” I sighed, “Let me know if you need anything.”

She didn’t respond. So I went down the steps of her cabin to my dear friend’s… He left the room, upset at his lack of existence.

I tapped his door.

There was shuffling from behind the door, and then it opened slightly, “Hey there.” He looked like he’d been crying, or at the very least, trying not to cry.

“Hey,” I said, the voice coming out of my mouth in a sweet hush, “You ok?”

“I’m,” he sniffed, and rubbed the butt of his wrist against his eye, “I’m trying to- uh- Well, I’m  _ trying _ .”

“Do you wanna talk?”

“I actually, uh-” he tucked his lips into his mouth. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he was doing his best to just hang on, “I think it’d be better if I just hung by myself for a sec…”

“Are- Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he smiled at me, “I just- I need to process a couple things and I don’t want you to see me cry-”

“That’s what I’m here for, though.”

“To see me cry?” Ha faked a laugh, “I’ll just… I’ll catch up with you later, ok?”

“Okay,” I swallowed, “Promise?”

“I promise,” he said, before shutting the door.

I sighed. I couldn’t help but feel like it was me, even though I knew full well it was the motive. I walked out at the corridor, and looked to the bench in the center that should’ve burnt down in the fire. Instead it stood. I sat on it, and felt it creak under the weight of a person.

“Are you wondering why the bench is still standing?” Gon asked me. I smiled at him. He continued, “Because I thought the same thing. May I?”

I gestured for him to sit beside me. 

“It’s not the same bench,” he knocked his knuckle against the wood, “I remember sitting next to Haruka, and being so nervous that I scratched away at part of the wood on our second day here.”

“It's not there anymore?”

“Nope,” Gon frowned, “These picnic tables are a dime a dozen. Probably wasn’t too challenging to find another.”

“I wonder if that’s the same with us,” I looked down at the table. It did look newer.

“What, that we’re-”

“A dime a dozen. Replaceable.”

“I don’t think so. I think us being in the game is proof that we’re important. Monokuma sort of needs us,” he laughed slightly, “In the sickest way possible. That’s why he sets up motives. That’s why he didn’t let us… burn.”

I frowned, “Were you ready to-”

“Without a doubt,” he said, his voice unwavering, “But… I… Haruka needs me to get out of here, safe… And I’d never hurt anyone...”

“I’m glad,” I smiled, “I think… I think the rest of us can survive.”

“Sen, can you tell me something?” Gon leaned toward me.

“Ah, yeah,” I shrugged.

“Whose wedding was your favorite wedding, that you can remember.”

“Oh,” I was confused by his question. I thought it was going to be about the game, or how there were so few of us left, but instead, it was on something… beautiful. Something happy. I sat for a moment, but I knew exactly which one. “When I was a kid… I became legally ordained to marry my uncle to my aunt… It was… Well, a joke. I wanted to be grown up enough to do something in the wedding without being a flower girl or something. It was beautiful. Everyone treated me like I belonged… Everyone was nice to me. And then after the kiss… After  _ I _ pronounced them man and wife, I got to return to the wedding, where everyone treated me like some sort of wonder. Obviously, my aunt and uncle were the stars of the show… But I felt like I was finally useful for something! Like- I was meant to be there.”

“Well,” he laughed, “it was your job.”

“No I mean, like… It was a calling. Like I couldn’t be happier than just hearing them say ‘I do’. I didn’t even need to see the rest of the wedding. I just needed to feel like love was real, and I was there to witness it.”

“And you- That became your favorite wedding?”

“Absolutely,” I laughed, “It was the first in a long, long line of weddings that I officiated. It was the start of something beautiful, you know?”

“I… I understand exactly.”

“How did you decide osteopath-er-ing?”

“Osteopathy… It, uh, well… I’ve always been interested in bones,” he laughed, “The horrible thing is, I must admit, I don’t necessarily believe in osteopathy.”

“ _ What _ ?”

“I’m not interested in alternative medicine. I’m good at the manipulation part of osteopathy, and I enjoy helping and healing the skeletomuscular system, but osteopathy is actually unproven in a multitude of ways.”

“Then why did you dedicate your time to it?” I asked, more surprised than anything.

“When I was scouted, I found out that they already had an Ultimate Orthopedic Specialist for our year. So when they saw my research and my specialty was in the skeletomuscular system, I was quick on my feet and said I could do osteopathy. So… here I am.”

“Why the skeleton?”

“Why not?” he laughed, “It’s your biggest support.” He paused a moment, and then said, “Ba-dum tsss.”

I laughed at his horrible dad-joke.

“But honestly,” he said, “It’s… interesting. It’s something that so inside you, yet you can see. And nearly everyone has a similar skeleton, yet everyone looks so wildly different. I love every part of it!”

“I know! I can tell,” I smiled.

“I’m glad we have something we’re passionate about, without it, I think we’d go mad.”

“Well, except Mitsuo-”

“What are you talking about?” Gon laughed heartily, “Mitsuo has you.”

“Me?” I scoffed, “I’m not a talent-”

“You can be passionate about all sorts of things. Just because people aren’t Hope’s Peak Academy Students doesn’t mean they don’t have passions or talents. It just means they weren’t scouted… or had talents that couldn’t be exploited. Would you say that, let’s see, your parents! Would you say that your parents were talentless, driveless, passionless?”

“No!”

“But I’m assuming they weren’t Hope’s Peak Students!”

“They weren’t…”

“Talent isn’t something that defines you. Passion is. Love is. How you treat others is how you leave your mark on this world. So I know Mitsuo is pretty tired of not knowing who he is… But you know what’s nice?”

“He’s got his friends.”

“Exactly. How much he cares about you… How far he’s willing to go for you, well, that says more about his character to me than any talent would.”

I could feel my face turning red.

Gon smiled at me and said, “Hey, I know a crush when I see one.”

“I think Mitsuo and I are just going to stay friends… For now.”

“For now,” he teased, then tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, “Do you know what’s a good feeling?”

“What?”

“Knowing that we were friends before camp,” he pulled his papers out of his lab coat, and handed me the picture of us. We were standing opposite each other in gym, out on a field. Gon was stretching his arm across his chest, and chatting with me. My hands were on my hips, listening intently. We were both smiling, indulged in conversation. I seemed to feel the same comradery toward Gon then, as I did in that moment.

“This is a cute picture,” I said, “You think we hung together because we were both picked last in gym?”

“Me? Picked last?” He laughed at me, “I think we stuck together because we are compatible as friends. It doesn’t take more than one conversation to figure that out.”

“I think so too.”

I hung out with Gon a little while longer, making up our memories of our first year of high school. Gon said that he and Haruka were probably the teacher’s favorites. I said that I probably organized a lot of fun events for our class. It went from there.

Eventually Gon had to leave, and I let him go.

Ami came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said, “Guess who.”

“Oh gee,” I said sarcastically, “Who could it be?”

“Only the coolest person at camp!” Her hands stayed over my eyes.

“Whoa, out of body experience,” I said, “Sen, it’s me, Sen!”

She uncovered my eyes, “You’re such a nerd!” She sat beside me at the picnic table, “So watcha doin’?”

“Nothing,” I shrugged, “I just sat out here with Gon for awhile, talking about school and-”

“Talking about school? How would you do that?”

“We were just making up stories,” I leaned back against the table, “Gon said he probably was an a-student-”

“Ha,” she crossed her arms, “Well, that’s not making things up, the guy’s a doctor.”

“Yeah, but still… It’s fun to pretend we remember.”

“Why don’t you focus on what you remember instead? Like, middle school shit, how did you like middle school?”

“God, I loved middle school,” I said, “It was simple.”

Ami scoffed, “Yeah, fuck, nothing’s more complicated than this.”

“Were you a part of any clubs in middle school?”

“Oh, clubs?” she laughed, “Yeah, I was a club president!”

“What?” I suppose I could see it. Ami was kind, well organized, doting, and occasionally good at taking charge, “What was the club?”

“Is was Go Club,” she covered her face.

“Go?” I asked, “Like the board game?”

“Yeah!” she laughed at herself, “I used to be really good at it! I mean, not nearly as good as like- all of my members, but I was better than the average student!”

“Wow! I’d love for you to teach me to play sometime!”

She sat up straight and said, “You don’t know how to play Go?”

I shook my head, “Never learned.”

She said, “I will be right back.”

Ami couldn’t have been gone longer than seven minutes, but when she came back to me, she came back with a Go board, and the black and white stones. “This is so exciting. I feel like I’m back in junior high!”

She set the board down, and began her instruction: “So the black player goes first, and has an advantage, so you get to be the black stones. So pretty much all you wanna do is place your stones down on the intersections of the grid, and… yeah. And then you wanna make your own territories. And if I start to impede on your territory, you’re gonna wanna capture my stones by, uh, gimme your hand,” she took my hand and clapped both of her hands around it, “surrounding it. Then they become your prisoner. And, hm, let’s see… Oh! The ko rule!”

“The ko rule?”

“The ko rule!” She said, before going stone-faced and saying in a deep, ominous voice, “ _ The previous board position cannot be recreated _ .”

I looked at her with a raised brow. She went into a fit of giggles and said, “Sorry, sorry… It was an inside joke of Go Club. Here, we’ll just do a practice round, and I can teach you while we go! Heh, get it?”

I laughed absently at her joke. Why were all of my friends into puns?

Ami taught me how to play Go pretty well. She still completely beat me, but we had a good time. As we played, we talked.

“My first kiss was with the Go Club vice president,” she said as-a-matter-of-factly, “Isei Tatenaka… I had the biggest crush on him, my god.”

“Oh? So what happened with the two of you?”

“I dunno,” she shrugged, “He kissed me on a dare. He got a girlfriend like- Four days later. I as heartbroken.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“Oh hey,” she snorted, “No skin off my back. It was junior high. We all did stupid stuff and liked dumb boys in junior high. Turned out, cuter girls liked me anyways...”

I thought about a boy I liked in junior high. His name was Tenshin, and he once pushed a bully for me, so that instantly set my heart flying. Then, a week passed, and I forgot all about him. I laughed at her statement. It was true.

We played Go for awhile, until Ami felt hungry enough to excuse herself. I stayed at the bench. In my down time, I read. I read other books that I saw in Joben’s library. I took Gon’s word, and checked out a myriad of books, just to have my own personal library.

“How you been able to get through to Ginko?” Narumi’s voice was behind me, “I worry about her.”

“She told me to leave her alone.”

“May I?” Narumi asked, and then sat beside me. She put her head in her hands, “She said the same to me. But, in my professional opinion, she should not be alone.”

“I agree, but she literally forced me out,” I shrugged, “I think she’ll be okay. She just needs a second to cool down. She never really got to process how much Afu meant to her.”

“Agreed.”

“Why do you care so much about Ginko, anyway?” I asked, “Not that its a bad thing, but-”

“Because of my abhorrent behavior,” she sighed, “Ginko’s had a rough upbringing. She had a hard time feeling important. She relished attention and affection. And Afu gave her it in the best of ways… But Afu only survives, what, four days?”

“I wasn’t counting.”

“Ginko needs someone to keep her from going affectionless and unstable. I was so rude to her so early in, I thought maybe I could keep her healthy if I just-”

“I think she needs a friend more than a doctor,” I said, “Your guilt shouldn’t be the thing driving you to help her, your love and respect for her as a person should.”

“I understand that, but I am counselor first, then Narumi second.”

“Maybe switch that around,” I suggested, “Especially because we’re here as students. We’re not patients, we’re peers. I know you didn’t want to be seen as the psychoanalytical person, who’s judging everyone, but if you don’t turn off your counselor side, then maybe people are still going to see you that way.”

She frowned and said, “I’m aware. I just think a counselor can do so much better than Narumi Ikeda.”

“I think Narumi Ikeda is just wonderful the way she is.”

Narumi smiled and me, though she looked rather somber. She stood and said, “I’m going to try Ginko once more… Hopefully she will let me in.”

“I think she will.”

She ended our short visit with a slight nod, and walked to the laundry room, where I assumed Ginko stayed.

I looked down at the bench I’d stayed at all day, and pat it. Having people come to me made me feel less alone. I hope that Ginko, Oda, and Mitsuo would be comfortable talking in the morning.

I made myself dinner, and retired to my room.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Gurekuma’s skin has broken out in hives, and Monokuma cackles on the floor. The makeup scatters all over the floor as he rolls there, laughing.

“Being pretty isn’t hard if you were born with it! To make people think your pretty is just smoke and mirrors. To be pleasant is hard… but to make people think you’re pleasant! Well, for someone like me, it’s just impossible!”

 

**Students Remaining: 9**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Another Thursday update! :)


	25. Chapter Four: Smells Like Teen Despair (PART IV)

I woke up that morning like any other morning at camp despair. I ate breakfast with some of my peers, Ami was teaching Gon and Takumi how to play Go. I went on my way, but instead, this time, I had a goal.

Absent from breakfast were three people I wanted to check up on: Ginko, Mitsuo, and Oda.

Ginko wasn’t in her room or the laundry room. I assumed she was with Narumi or Shun, maybe in another part of camp, so I headed to Oda.

Her opening the door was almost instantaneous as I knocked. She looked at me and said, “Well, are you gonna come in?”

“Oh, uh, I suppose.” I entered her room. Her room was as plain as mine. There wasn’t much on the walls or around in terms of furniture: it was just a default room, due to her talent not really needing much furniture. I asked, “How are you feeling, now that you got your space?”

“Still absolutely miserable,” she sighed, rubbing her eyes, “I didn’t sleep at all last night. I just laid in bed and stared at my ceiling, thinking about them. Now look at me.”

She had dark bags under her eyes.

“I, uh, ooh,” I looked in my bag and handed her the mirrored sunglasses I got out of the vending machine long ago, “Here, have these.”

She smirked laughter, and put them on, “And?”

“You look-” I bit my lip, “Intimidating.”

She smiled, and folded them, slipping one of the ear spokes into her shirt collar, “Then I love them, thanks Sen.”

“Uh, so,” I clasped my hands together, “Who’s… them?”

“Them?” She asked, “Oh. My family. I’m just wondering how they’re doing without me.”

“Oh, right, you said you had two little sisters,” I remembered, “And two older brothers?”

“And one younger brother.”

“Big family,” I said.

“And I was their rock,” she sighed.

“Well, your mom and step-dad are there to take care of them, right?”

She laughed hopelessly, “My mom’s dead.”

“What?” I gasped.

“Yeah,” she picked the picture of her off her dresser, “I didn’t, uh, expect them to put a picture of her in here cause I don’t think it motivates me to get out of here… It just makes me miss her a whole lot.”

“I’m so sorry… How did-”

“Childbirth,” she laughed, “Crazy, right?”

“Oh my god,” I sighed, “but uh, well, at least you have a picture.”

“Yeah,” she held the picture, “After she passed, I really buckled down as mom… Me and my older brothers. I almost didn’t take Hope’s Peak cause-”

“You didn’t want them to be without you?”

“Pretty much,” she frowned, “But my older brother got a promotion at his job… And he promised me it would be okay. So I clicked accept. I don’t even remember going, but I guess I did.”

“At least… At least it looks like you had fun! I think if anything went wrong at home in the year we were there… Well, I think you would’ve gone home, right?”

“I’m scared that I don’t remember,” Oda tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’m scared that maybe I abandoned them like- Like an asshole.”

“Oh Oda,” I scooted closer to her, “You’re not the type to do that.”

“I just hope I didn’t love the taste of being a teenager again…” she licked her lips, “When I was a home, it was just work, and school, then chores, and diapers, and reading and screaming, and yelling and tantrums,” her head went into her hands, “But I would give anything in the world to go back to that right now…”

“I bet they’re fighting tooth-and-nail to get you home,” I pat her back, “I bet they miss you as much as you miss them.”

She pulled her knees to her chest. A small, pathetic whimper came from her mouth as she said, “I miss my mom.” She began to cry.

I had never expected that side of Oda to be revealed to me, ever. She was pretty hard, not really letting herself show much of a range of emotions, but… to see her cry out for something so innocent sounding, that was startling. I held her, and she held me. None of it was expected.

Her crying rocked her body as she moved. The picture of her mother in her lap had two, big, round tears on the glossy surface.

Her mother looked a lot like her. She had a round face, freckles, and pale skin, just like Oda did. Her hair was a shade darker than Oda’s artificial color: a nice burgundy red. It was shoulder length, and wavy. She had dark brown eyes, thick eyebrows, and wore glasses. She was a pretty lady.

“I’m glad there are pictures of you having fun,” I whispered, “You’re a nice girl, Oda. You deserve a break.”

“I’m a mess without them though,” she held her head in her hands, “Everything I did, I did for my family. Hope’s Peak? That was a stepping stone. I was hoping scholarships could come in, so I could get into a nice college and get a job that would help support everyone. I just feel-” she sighed, “I feel like, when I see a picture of my little girls… I ran away from them.”

“You wouldn’t do that.”

“And now I’m here,” she wiped her eyes, “And they’re… God knows where! I hope they’re not watching me break down like this.”

“They’re fine, Oda,” I squeezed her shoulder, “Your two little sisters are with your brothers, and your brothers are… Right now, they’re making, uh, waffles.”

“Waffles,” she laughed, “My younger brother loved waffles.”

“They’re making so many waffles,” I said, “Your oldest brother is handling the iron, and your middle brother is making everyone plates.”

She smiled, indulging in whatever fantasy I was attempting to deliver.

“Your little sisters are so excited to eat. It’s a nice sunny day. They might go to a park later and feed ducks.”

Tears still streamed from her eyes, but she was smiling so wide.

“They’re safe, they miss you, but they’re happy together nonetheless.”

She hugged me tight. I pat her back, and said, “Oda… You’re doing the best thing for them, and yourself right now?”

“Crying?” she mocked.

“No, you’re being strong, yet peaceful,” I said, “You’re kind… but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. And… You’re not going to hurt anyone.”

“I’m not.”

“Then we’re gonna make it out of here, okay?”

She nodded.

Oda told me more about her siblings. Her oldest brother, before their mom died, wanted to be a lawyer, but instead ended up working in the mailroom, getting promoted to secretary and assistant. Her second older brother worked nights so he could spend the days with the kids. He was a cook. They seemed to work so hard to give Oda’s family stability.

I let Oda get herself food when she realized she hadn’t eaten. I went with her to the dining room, microwaved a bag of popcorn, grabbed something from my room, and headed to Mitsuo.

I knocked on the door. There was no response.

I shook the bag, “Mitsuo, it’s me. I brought popcorn.”

I heard him get off the bed, and walk to the door. He opened it to greet me, with his blanket around his head.

“Mitsu-Oh jeez! What happened in here!” Inside his rooms were deep cut scratches on the walls, floor, and headboard of his bed. There was a disemboweled pillow, scattering stuffing everywhere.

“The Monokuma-thing that got locked in my room had a field day,” he laid back down on his bed.

“Whatcha got there?” I sat at the foot of his bed. He had a small laptop-looking device. It was missing any sort of keyboard.

“It’s a retro portable DVD player,” he said, “I found it in the treehouse last night.”

“You went to the treehouse last night?”

“Sitting in my own pity gets old,” he laughed humorlessly, “i needed to watch something.”

I frowned, “Well, this place needs a little brightening up. No wonder you’re such a sad sack.” I opened my backpack to pull out the beautiful bouquet of fake roses, “These are for you.”

He sat up slightly, “Aren’t I supposed to be the one to get you roses?”

“Maybe we aren’t the most traditional of  _ friends _ ,” I said, “but I think you need these more than I do.”

He took the flowers, smelled them, and then said, “Hey, they’re fake!”

“Yeah, but they look nice.”

“True,” he said, setting them at his bedside table, “I don’t have a vase to put them in or anything.”

“That’s okay,” I shrugged, “They don’t need water. I just want them to brighten your day. Think of me when you see them.”

“Pretty flower, pretty girl,” he said.

“Hey, uh, Mitsuo,” I bit my lip, trying to change the subject, “I just want you to know that… You have friends here.”

He looked at me like that came out of nowhere, which it did.

“And… Well, just because you don’t know everything about yourself doesn’t mean your lost.”

“Oh yeah?” he raised an eyebrow, “I feel pretty lost.”

“I know how you feel-”

“Oh do you?” he sassed, “You know how it feels to forget the only part of you that’s worth something to anyone?”

“It’s not the only thing that’s worth something.”

“I wasn’t worth enough to be in anyone’s pictures! Or to get letters from anyone except a card from a mysterious K. Gakusha! I don’t even know who the fuck that is!”

“That doesn’t matter because you’re worth something now!” I stood, “I don’t know why that’s so confusing to you! You’re amazing, Mitsuo. You’re a good friend, and a nice guy, and- And you mean the world to- You mean the world to some people here.”

“I don’t Sen,” he threw himself back, “And if our feelings about each other are as predestined as how Gon and Haruka felt, well, then, I’m nothing. I don’t have anyone.”

“What about me!”

“What about you?” He sat up, “I’ve made myself so available to you this whole fucking nightmare and yet here we are! When are we going to do something about it? Are we just going to stay in this awkward purgatory where you know I like you? Or are you going to finally reject me? Or what, Sen?”

“Mitsuo, I-”

“See?” he held his arm, “And when I push you away… Cause that’s just who I am, I’m gonna have nothing, and I’m going to be nothing.”

“You’re not pushing me away,” I sighed, “I just… Mitsuo, take me on a date when we get out of here.”

“What?”

“When we get off this campground,” I straightened my back, “I want you to take me on a date.”

“A da- Where? Wh- How?”

“I don’t care where. I like your taste in movies, so let’s start there,” I said, “It could be the second we walk out of here… Just, I need to escape here first. I need  _ us _ to escape so we-”

“Can date.”

“So we can take back our lives!” I barked, “Right now, everything is scary and uncertain, and I don’t want to end up like-”

“Gon and Haruka.”

“I can’t handle that,” I said, feeling my face scrunch up slightly, “So, yeah, I like you, and I want you to know if it can solidify something in you… but, if you can’t find yourself looking forward to us finding out your talent… then, how about we look forward to our future.”

“Together…”

“Yeah,” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and he sighed.

“Sen,” he stood, “Are you just saying this to make me feel better?”

“Did it work?”

His eyebrows were pinned up, and he looked at me like I was- Well, I wouldn’t forget that look. He hugged me.

“I can’t change the way I feel… Some days are going to be… not great… And some days I’m gonna feel fine,” he whispered into my shoulder, “but I also can’t change the way I feel about you. So… If I can’t feel appreciated in the year at Hope’s Peak… At least I can feel appreciated in the coming years, right?”

I smiled warmly at him, “Right.”

“How do I know you’re not just gonna run after we get out of here?” he teased, becoming aware of how long we were holding onto one another.

“I… I don’t think I’d be able to leave any of you after this. Nobody in the entire world has had an experience like ours,” I laughed, “But… How about this-”

“No! I’ve got a better idea,” Mitsuo went to his dresser and opened it up, “Here.”

He handed me a pair of dark blue boxers, with a small print of different colored balloon animals on them in a repeating pattern. I raised an eyebrow at him.

“These are my lucky boxers,” he explained, “Keep ‘em on you. I’ll ask for them back after our date.”

I looked at him with utter shock on my face.

He laughed, “What, hasn’t anyone ever given you their underwear before?”

“You’re such a dork,” I folded it in my hands, and shoved it in my bag.   
“Sen, for real,” he sighed, and sat on the bed, “You’re the only one that I need to get out of this game. So… thanks for giving me more incentive.”

“Remember, Mitsuo,” I held out my pinky, “You promised.”

He clasped his pinky with mine, “I promised.”

Mitsuo and I watched a movie in the comfort of his room on that tiny screen. Once we finished the movie and the popcorn, he stood, and asked for some privacy, so he could shower.

I let him be.

Ginko still hadn’t returned to the main camp, so I sought her out. I assumed she’d be either at the tree house, or in the spa. On my walk over there, I spied her coming down the rope ladder.

“Ginko!” I called out to her. She looked at me, and smiled. She looked back to her old self. I asked, “Hey, Ginko, how are you feeling?”

She got to the bottom of the ladder and put her hands on her hips. She gave a good nod and said, “Yeah, I’m feeling great. I got a good night’s sleep, and I got to think about some things… Things are starting to make sense.”

“Make sense?” I asked.

“I know why monokuma gave me the pictures he did,” she sighed, “He’s trying to get to me, you know.”

“Well, yeah,” I nodded, “It’s a motive.”

“Yeah, he’s supposed to get me all motivated to do his shitty bidding,” she shook her head, “but no. It did the opposite.”

“Isn’t that great!” I said, “It feels good when the motives he sends out actually make you want peace instead of violence-”

“Oh no,” she shook her head, “It motivated me in a different way, even from that.”

“How so?”

“I’ve been thinking about Zuzu,” she said, “And how he died to get the bodies down. But before that, he was on and on about blamin’ the sad guy for sending us all to camp.”

“Oh, uh huh.”

“And I thought, this dude must be high,” Ginko’s hands were still rigid on her hips, “but there bein’ a dude on the inside, someone who maybe started this cause he knew us, that makes sense.”

“Uh, I suppose.”

“So I was like, ok… Now who could do such a thing? And I’m assuming they’re left in the game, cause we saw all the bodies and people die, right?”

“Right.”

“So I had to think about us, all of us, even me!” She laughed, “I could be the dick behind this, and I just wiped myself, you know?”

“Ginko…”

“But then I got to thinkin’ about camp. And how we’re all suffering in our own ways. How we’re all losing our fucking minds… And I was thinkin’ and thinkin’ about how much this is just hell, and then I realized that there’s only one person having fun here.”

“Wh-”

“And it’s you, Sen.”

“What?”

“And then that got me thinkin’... Sen… She’s pretty popular amongst everyone. Nobody would hurt a hair on her pretty green head,” she took a stomp forward, “She’s perfect. Everyone loves her. Everyone trusts her. She’s exactly who a fucked up mastermind wants to be.”

I took a step back, “Ginko, I-”

She brought up her hand, holding a small camping knife, “Sen doesn’t give a shit about us. She gives a shit about the camp!”

“Ginko,” I looked from her face, to the knife and back. I wasn’t sure which one was more terrifying. I took more steps back, but Ginko just mirrored me.

“It would make so much sense… That  _ you’re _ the reason why we’re here,” she said, lunging at me. I jumped out of her way, but her knife sliced my upper arm. There was nothing in the world that felt like that pain: it was sudden, burning, and as the blood exposed itself to air, it stung. I screamed.

“If I kill you, that’ll mean we’re free, right?” she took another step toward me.

“Ginko, please!” I shouted, “I’m not-”

“Shut up!” Ginko said, and braced the knife in both hands to steadily run at me.

I ran toward the tree house, clutching my arm with one of my hands, “Ginko, fuck, stop it, please!”

“You- You fucking liar! This is all your fault!”

I stood at the trunk. I couldn’t climb the ladder, I was too hurt. Blood pooled against the grey of my cardigan, “Ginko, please, you really hurt me!”

“Let me end your suffering then, bitch!” she charged at me.

I moved, and Ginko slipped on the falling leaves, crashing into the tree’s trunk. She dropped the knife.

I kicked the knife more into the forest and ran down the trail. I didn’t hear Ginko get up to chase me, but I did hear, “They’ll all be after you when they find out what you really are!”   
I had never been so scared in my life. The harder my heart beat, the more adrenaline that flowed through me, making me forget that my arm was in pain, the more blood gushed from the gash in my arm.

The camp was surprisingly empty when I exited the trail head. Oda was just leaving her dorm when her eyes locked on me.

“ _ Sen! _ ” she shouted, and ran up to me, “Oh my god what happened!”

“Ginko, she- fuck,” I swore, “God this hurts really bad.”

“Oh god, okay, uhm,” she swallowed and said, “You’re cut pretty bad, just, uh…” She held onto me and said, “Let’s get you to Gurekuma’s tent… And it’ll all be okay, okay?”

“Oda, I’m… Ginko tried to kill me.”

“Yeah, I heard that,” Oda said, trying to stay calm, “We’ll uh, find her… I don’t, fuck, I don’t know what we’re gonna do-  _ Gurekuma _ !” The loudest I’d ever heard her scream expelled from her throat, “Gurekuma we need help!”

Gurekuma peeked out from behind the tent and screamed. She helped Oda and I into the tent, and laid me down on her table.

“This is such bad news!” Gurekuma frowned, “You’re gonna have two scars now!”

That was the last thing I heard from her, before I passed out.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Gurekuma clutches at her throat gasping for air. The makeup has cause some sort of severe allergic reaction. Despite this, Monokuma extends a tube of lipstick for her.

“Gurekuma! Quit struggling! Don’t you know beauty is torture! Being cute and likable gives you a higher chance of biting the dust!”

**Students Remaining: 9**


	26. Chapter Four: Smells Like Teen Despair (PART V)

_ My eyes parted open in a white walled room. I was laying down on a squishy vinyl bench, which wax paper laid over it. When I shifted my weight, the paper crinkled. _

_ My head was killing me. _

_ “Hey sleepyhead,” Mitsuo’s soft voice expelled from his throat, “How’re you feelin’?” _

_ His face was clean. I’d never seen him… like that. _

_ “You washed your face,” I said. _

_ “Oh, hah,” he smiled, “Yeah… I, uh, I didn’t want that to be the first thing you saw when you woke up.” _

_ “What happened?” _

_ “You took a tumble down the stairs and bumped your noggin on the wall,” he said, “I was the only one there, so I took you to here.” _

_ “There’s, uh, nothing wrong, right?” _

_ The school nurse walked into the room, “No, you’re surprisingly alright. Thanks to Mitsuo here, you weren’t just laying in the hallway.” _

_ “Yeah, uh, thanks,” I sat up. I rubbed my head to find a bump that hurt when I pressed against it. _

_ Mitsuo put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Well don’t to that, silly.” _

_ Instantly uncomfortable with the guy, I shifted, “Is class still in session? How long have I been out?” _

_ “Class is in session. Miss Gakusha has been notified of where the two of you are.” _

_ “I should be going back then… I mean, wasn’t Fusae going to show us some tips or table-tennis?” _

_ “Yeah,” Mitsuo stood, aiming to help me up. I got up without his help, “If we hurry back, we won’t miss it.” _

_ Together, we walked in the halls. All classes were in session. I heard applause from a room we passed. People were showing off talents in class. It was Fusae’s day, and wouldn’t be mine for another two weeks. It was alright, I didn’t have much to show, except maybe a slide presentation of couples I’ve married. _

_ “Are you excited for your day?” Mitsuo asked me in the awkward silence. _

_ “Uh, sure,” I shrugged, “I don’t have much to show. When’s your day?” _

_ “Oh, uh,” he sighed, “It was tuesday.” _

_ I looked at him and said, “Wait… Why don’t I remember?” _

_ “You, Cho, and Joben spent that day in the library.” _

_ “Oh man,” I sighed, “I’m sorry. That’s super rude of me. What did you show everyone?” _

_ “General stuff,” he shrugged, “It’s nothing special.” _

_ “Hey, uh,” I actually felt bad. Missing someone’s special day was super insulting. I wondered why Joben wanted us to come with him so badly. I suggested, “How about you show me them some time? I need to make it up to you.” _

_ “Oh, wow,” he looked me in the eye. He had pretty eyes, and, in fact, a nice face when he wasn’t in his getup, “If you want to. Don’t feel obligated or anything.” _

_ “No, I’m serious. Maybe I can invite Cho and Joben too!” _

_ “Heh, not just us, huh,” he said quietly. _

_ “Huh?” I was hoping he’d said something else. _

_ “Nothing, that’d be… nice,” he said. He held the door open for me. _

_ I walked in and heard Ginko shout, “Sen’s back!” Someone cheered. I waved at my classmates. _

_ Mitsuo slipped in behind me, and sat down, unnoticed. _

 

“But… Mitsuo,” I croaked.

My eyes cracked open in Gurekuma’s med tent. Oda sat beside me and said, “Sen!”

“Wh-What happened?” I tried to sit up a little, but the searing pain in my arm reminded me.   
“Hey, hey, take it easy.”

“Where’s Ginko?” I sat up fast. My arm was bandaged thoroughly.

“Nobody can find her,” she shrugged, “I think she’s hiding, waiting for…”

“Me.”

“I’m going to stick with you, ok?”

I balled the hand of my hurt arm into a fist, and then relaxed it.

“Is my arm ok?” I asked.

“It’s going to be alright,” Gurekuma came waddling in. Oda is going to have to help you change your dressings when necessary. We’ll take out the stitches when it’s ready.”

“Stitches?”

“Thirty stitches!” Gurekuma said, “You know… Your lucky it wasn’t infected.”

“I’ll be more careful next time I get stabbed,” I said, sarcastically.

“What can we do to speed up the healing process?” Oda asked.

“Don’t reopen it,” Gurekuma said, “No crazy one armed stunts. Try not to sleep on that arm either.”

“Thanks,” I stood.

Gurekuma seemed to frown, “Oh, don’t be like that Miss Oshiro! I’m sure many boys like scarred up girls!”

I looked in the mirror in her tent. My camisole was soaked in blood. My cardigan was in the trash can. I had three thin scars on my cheek.

“Let’s go find Ginko,” I said.

I walked outside, surprised by the fact that it was morning.

“Did you stay by my bedside all night?” I looked at Oda.

She didn’t look back at me.

“Thanks,” I smiled at her.

“Everyone’s on pretty high alert, as far as looking for her,” Oda said.

Mitsuo charged the two of us, and his hand grasped my cheeks, “Thank god you’re okay. What happened?”

“I already told him,” Oda said humorlessly, “He just doesn’t listen to anyone but you.”

“Well, I get that Ginko attacked Sen, but, why?”

“She thinks I’m the mastermind,” I said, “I went to see how she was doing, because yesterday was kinda hard on all of us… And she came at me with a camping knife! She must have sharpened that thing for hours, because it was like- effortless.”

“Thank god you ran,” Mitsuo combed his fingers through his hair, “And Gurekuma stitched you up?”

“Thirty stitches, apparently.”

“Thirty-one,” Oda said.

“God… Well, if you don’t wanna be alone, I-”

“I got her, loverboy,” Oda rolled her eye, “Besides, I know how to change dressings.”

Mitsuo crossed his arms, “I bet I could figure it out.”

“We’re not betting her arm on how well you think you can figure it out,” Oda said, “Has anyone found Ginko?”

“Nope. I looked with Gon awhile, but he just decided to stay out there and read, so I came back here and hoped you were okay.”

“I’m fine, really,” I said, “I’m just glad it was my arm.”

“She didn’t hit anything major either,” Oda said, “Here’s to hoping she doesn’t actually have it in her… She’s just… breaking down.”

“Do you wanna show us exactly where it happened?” Mitsuo asked, “Maybe that’ll lean to where she’s hiding.”

I shrugged, and Oda looked at me like it was a horrible idea, but I actually wanted to find Ginko. I wanted to tell her that I really didn’t mean anyone any harm. Maybe she’d believe me. Maybe we could keep an eye on her, but ultimately forgive her. We’d seen so much death, it’d be a miracle if someone didn’t go a little crazy.

I was okay with it, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Oda groaned, but Mitsuo nodded understandingly.

We began down the trail head, but about three minutes into our walk, Gon found us. He had an expression of panic on his face, walking slowly, but with certain footing, and holding his lab coat closed, but forward.

“Hey, Gon, did you find her?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Can someone take me to Gurekuma?”

Oda’s face dulled, “ _ Why _ ?”

“Uh, hah,” he opened his coat to reveal the same knife I was cut with, sticking out of his abdomen.   
“Oh fuck!” Mitsuo stepped back, “What are you doing, take it out!”

“No you idiot,” Oda barked.

“Yeah, I left it in, because I know it’s stopping blood flow,” he bit his lower lip, “We need to hurry, I don’t know how long I will last.”

“How are you- Okay, okay.”

“If you’re going to ask why I’m calm, it’s to keep the blood from flowing. This hurts really,  _ really  _ bad.”

“Holy shit, uh, come on, let’s… Let’s go,” I held out my good arm, and placed it in the mall of Gon’s back. The entire blade was in his abdomen. I looked up at his face to see a world of nerves inside him.

“What… What happened?”

“She attacked me on the trail,” he laughed, “She’s mad about Afu. I understand.”

“No, this-”

“I think I’m done for,” Gon laughed. Blood dripped out of his mouth with the exhale.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said, “Gurekuma is a good doctor.”

“Yeah,” Oda said, “She patched up Sen really nicely.”

“Yeh,” he whispered, “It’ll be good to see Haruka.” Immediately after, he tipped over, onto me.

“Fuck!” I tried to hold him up. Mitsuo rounded him and helped me lay him on the ground. I placed his head in my lap.

“I’m going to get Gurekuma!” Oda shouted, “She’s got a stretcher!” She ran off ahead.

“Come on, come on Gon, hang in there,” I pet the side of his face, “Gon, listen to me.”

“Gon!” I held his face, “Gon, come on, wake up.”

Mitsuo leaned his ear into Gon’s mouth, “He’s still breathing.”

“Come on, come on,” I squished his cheeks, “Gon, please.”

“Sen, he’s-”

“He’s not gone!” I barked up at him. Tears streamed down my face.

“He’s passed out,” Mitsuo said, “He’s not going to wake up unless he gets attention.”

Mitsuo kept his ear to Gon’s mouth, hearing his breath. It only took another moment for Gurekuma to run, pushing a stretcher.

Oda, Mitsuo, and I helped Gon up into the stretcher, and we all chased after, carrying him off.

As soon as Gurekuma got him through the flaps of her tent, she shouted, “Go! No children in my office!”

Mitsuo and I took a step back. Oda took a step forward.

“You too, Miss Minamimoto! I appreciate a lot of your help, but this is  _ very serious _ !” She pushed all of us back, and then drew the curtains.

I sighed, “Fuck.”

“We have to find her!” Oda threw her head up, “This reign of violence needs to stop  _ now _ . She’ll be very lucky if Gon doesn’t fucking die!”

“That was what she wanted though,” Mitsuo furrowed his brow, “Why would she be lucky?”

“Because there won’t be a trial,” Oda said, “It’ll last a minute. We watched Gon… die.”

I took a step toward the trail head. Oda followed me.

“So that’s it?” Mitsuo asked. He refused to admit he was terrified, “You’re just gonna find her? Are you prepared for what she’ll do if you find her?”

“Hopefully she’ll come peacefully,” Oda said, “She doesn’t have her weapon anymore, remember? It was sticking out of Gon’s stomach.”

“Oh.”

“Are you coming or not?” Oda asked him.

“Oh, I-” Mitsuo stopped, took a deep breath, and nodded, following after us.

We took the ten minute walk though the woods, coming up on the tree house.

“Ginko!” Oda shouted, “We found Gon! He’s still alive!”

“Yeah, so you’re out of-  _ Oh, fuck, _ ” Mitsuo stopped dead in his track. Ahead of him, at the base of the treehouse was Ginko, laying on top of Ami, with a thin metal pipe spearing through the both of them.

They laid there, dead.

Mitsuo looked back at me, and said, “Sen-”

He was interrupted by the body discovery announcement.

“Attention everyone! A body has been discovered! Please head to the treehouse.”

And then, immediately after, another.

“Attention everyone! A body has been discovered! Please head to the treehouse.”

I couldn’t do anything but fall to my knees.

I crawled over to her. She was underneath Ginko’s body, laying on her face. Her back was to Ginko’s, and the metal pipe stuck through the both of them.

The first person there was Takumi, who screamed. He ran to my side and said, “Ginko-  _ Ami _ !”

Shun came about five minutes after Takumi. Narumi wasn’t too long after him. Oda looked around and sighed, “Everyone’s here.”

“Gi-Ginko,” Narumi sat beside the bodies, “Wh- Where’s Gon!” She barked, “Where’s that fucking doctor?” I had never seen Narumi so mad.

Oda looked stonily at her, “He’s in surgery with Gurekuma. Ginko stabbed him in the gut.”

“Then it’s obvious he did this!” She stood, “Ami was probably a witness! He’s-”

“Stop with the accusations,” Mitsuo said, “We need to conduct-”

“An investigation!” Monokuma seemed to pop out of nowhere.

“Fuck,” Shun scolded, “Don’t fucking do that!”

“My camp! My rules!” Monokuma laughed, and handed him the Monokuma File.

He took a deep breath in, and said, “I can’t read it guys… Ginko was… Fuck.”

“Give it to me,” Oda held out her hand. She read out loud.

“ _ The first victim is Ginko Shiota, the Super High School Level Glassblower. The first victim’s body was found outside the treehouse. The estimated time of death is 9:40 AM. The victim was stabbed through the chest, puncturing the heart, resulting in her death. Minor bruising is detected on the arm. Aside from that, no other injuries or substances, such as poisons, have been detected. The second victim is Ami Uchida, the Super High School Level Waitress. The second victim’s body was found outside the treehouse. The estimated time of death is 9:40 AM. The victim was stabbed through the back, breaking the spine. A cracked rib has also been detected. Aside from that, no other injuries or substances, such as poisons, have been detected.” _

The  **Monokuma file** was always hard to swallow. How much violence our friends could meet before their demise… It hurt.

“9:40…” I said, before checking my tablet, “But it’s only ten right now.”

Narumi felt Ginko’s skin, and looked up at me with sad eyes, “The death  _ was  _ recent.”

“How do you know?”

“She’s still relatively warm.”

“Oh.”

“What… happened?” Takumi combed his hand through his wet hair. He looked up at me with eyes that couldn’t cry anymore. He was still mourning Hibiki and Zuzu, he didn’t have the energy to mourn Ami as well.

“That’s what we’re gonna have to figure out,” Oda said, leaning by the bodies.

I looked at the small crowd. It was just six of us.

I took a deep, shaky breath, and forced myself to step away.

Too much had happened in such a short amount of time: Zuzu, the new motives, Ginko attacking me, Ginko attacking Gon, and two deaths. I collapsed to my knees, threw my head back, and wailed.

“Sen…” Mitsuo tried to offer comfort. He put his hand on my good shoulder, rubbing it back and forth. He whispered into me, “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can bring them justice.”

“I don’t want justice,” I cried, “I want my friends back. I want everyone back!” I felt so pathetic, like a child throwing a tantrum, but I couldn’t do anything else.

“I do too, but-”

“Our friends are dead,” Oda walked up, “And we all will be too if we don’t investigate.”

“Could you maybe be a little more understanding?” Mitsuo stood and looked at her with open, questioning arms.

“No,” Oda said, narrowing her eyes, “We don’t have time for understanding, unless it’s understanding how this crime happened.”

“I don’t get you,” Mitsuo said, and walked toward the bodies.

She knelt beside me, and said, “Sen. You have to get up.”

“I- I-”

“Don’t say you can’t. It’s not the right time to give up,” she hand her hand down my back, “You’re gonna have to be strong.”

I look a deep breath, feeling myself shaking at my core, and stood with her, heading toward the crime scene.

“W-Why is she- Why are you covered in blood?” Shun asked.

“Ginko attacked me before she attacked Gon,” I pointed at my bandaged arm, “It was last night… Gurekuma stitched me up.”

“It’s solid,” Oda said, “She ran up to me last night with her arm profusely bleeding.”

“O-Oh,” Shun sighed.

“I just never got to change. I woke up, and Gon happened, and then  _ this _ and-”

“Let’s just investigate,” Takumi said.

I knelt with Mitsuo and Takumi by the bodies. Oda was walking at the base of the other large redwood.

“Hm,” Mitsuo said, “This isn’t… a weapon. Or at least a stabbing weapon.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“It’s got a weird handle,” Takumi agreed, “It’s gotta be… Something improvised, probably.”

I looked at the handle. It had some sort of grip.

“Hey Monokuma,” Mitsuo called out to the bear, who just stood there, menacingly. He perked up and looked at Mitsuo. He asked, “Can I take the murder weapon out? Or would that break that new rule?”

“Go for it! There had already been a discovery announcement!” Monokuma called after him, “Have fun, ya little sicko!”

Mitsuo rolled his eyes, and held at the rubber handle. He gave a firm tug upward, but it only pulled the bodies with it. He made a saddened face, “It’s stuck in there pretty good.”

“It’s because it’s through Ami’s spine,” Oda said, walking up. She took a deep breath, whispered, “Sorry Ginko,” and put her foot on Ginko’s chest. He tugged the spear up and out of the body, everyone watching in utter disgust.

She turned the spear on it’s pointed end to reveal it was hardly pointed. It was clean, lobbed off by something sharp. She stuck it into the mud. So the  **clean cut rod** was the murder weapon.

“That’s odd,” Oda said.

“What’s odd?” I asked.

“The blood stops at about where Ginko was,” she said, making a stabbing motion, “That means they were definitely stabbed.”

I noted the  **blood on the spear** .

Narumi smoothed her bangs, and whispered, “Who would do this to these two sweet girls…”

“Who would do any of these crimes?” Oda said, “We’re caged animals at this point.”

“It’s just not-” Narumi stopped, and said, “Ginko isn’t wearing any shoes.”

We looked at her **shoeless** **body**. Her black thigh high stockings remained on, but her usual loafers were not.

“That makes sense,” Oda murmured, and said, “Can someone help me move Ginko?”

“And Ami?” Takumi asked, kneeling beside her to help.

“No, just Ginko.”

His brow furrowed, but he helped her pick Ginko up and place her beside Ami. It was really hard to see Ami’s white shirt turned pink from her own blood.

“It’s exactly what I thought,” Oda said, looking up.

“What?” I said, looking down at Ami. There were small pieces of glass resting on, and sticking out of Ami’s back.

“Watch out,” Oda said, “That means there’s glass all over the floor.”

“Oh,” I was more aware of the small pieces of glass that littered the forest floor. In fact, there was  **broken glass** all over the place.

“We need to go up into the tree house,” Oda said.

“Seems like everything happened up there,” Mitsuo agreed.

“Almost everything,” Shun said. He was standing closer to the tree with the rope ladder, “There’s a bit of blood over here.

“Some dried blood over here too,” Narumi was standing at the tree.

“So, violence happened here, and here,” Shun said, pointing to the  **two bloody spots** , “and then escalated upstairs?”

“God I wish that Gon were here,” Narumi said, already suspecting, “It seems too convenient that he’s hurt.”

“Ginko tried to kill him,” Oda said, “He might not even be alive right now. So quit it with your accusations.”

“Why don’t you just go upstairs,” Narumi held the bridge of her nose, “Continue your heartless poking and prodding.”

“Sorry I want the rest of us to live!” Oda yelled. She immediately seemed to catch herself, and swore under her breath. She murmured, “I’m going up. Join me when you decide you want to help.”

“I’ll go with,” Mitsuo followed.

I wanted to follow, but I needed to investigate the forest floor more.

I rounded the tree where the bodies were discovered. This was the tree held up the second treehouse. On the other side, directly opposite of bodies, was a  **large wet patch** . I looked up to check if the water might have come from the treehouse, but it seemed to be too far from the actual treehouse to be poured out of it.

I looked at Takumi, Narumi, and Shun to see if they had answers. The worst part of it all was… all three of them had wet hair.

“Hey Takumi,” I called to him. He was closest to me. He walked up to me and said, “What’s up?”

“I’m just collecting alibis.”

“Oh!” he nodded, “I was swimming in the pool… Alone. I know that’s not too great of an alibi, but look! My hair’s wet… Oh! And as soon as I heard the body discovery announcement, I ran over. See?” He pulled his pants down a little to reveal he was still wearing his speedo. “I didn’t even change.”

“I don’t think anyone really has an alibi for the time of the murder, so don’t worry,” I said, collecting  **Takumi’s account** .

“I’m gonna head up then,” he shrugged, “I can’t seem to find anything else down here.”

“I’ll meet you up, okay?”

He nodded, and pat my shoulder. I watched as he headed up the latter.

Narumi walked up to me, holding a  **blue piece of fabric** , “Look what I found.”

It was shiny, plasticy, I wasn’t sure if any of us would wear it in any way, but it was something.

“Where did you find that?”

“Just over there,” she pointed more into the forest, “I think it ripped off of someone’s clothes. Maybe even Ginko’s…”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“Oh, you probably want to know where I was, don’t you?”

“That’d be helpful.”

“I was in the spa,” she pointed at the trailhead that went toward the library part of camp, “That’s why I came from that way. I know it took me a moment, but I was indecent, so I had to change and then walk over.”

“Makes sense,” I said.

“I mean, my hair’s wet.”

“Yeah!” I nodded, “I believe you. I believe everyone. It just makes it easier when we get to the who, what, where.”

“I understand,” she nodded, lacing her fingers together in front of her, “The alibis are just help to figure out the truth,” she sighed and looked at Ginko’s lifeless body, “I wasn’t aware of how… violent she was getting. I… I failed as a counselor.”

I looked down at my arm, then up at her, “It’s not on you… It’s all her.”

“I still feel somewhat to blame. I didn’t mean to have that outburst on Oda, either. I just… I feel so guilty,” she bit her lip, “I suppose I should head up and aide in the investigation.

“I’ll catch up with you,” I said.  **Narumi’s account** was just as good as Takumi’s.

Shun watched as Narumi headed up the ladder, I snapped my fingers at him, “You’re not going up after her.”

“Wh-”

“You already looked up Ginko’s skirt.”

“God, I get it, I get it. Why can’t anyone take a joke?” Shun scratched the back of his head, “Ginko didn’t even care!”

I crossed my arms, “Anways… I’m collecting alibis.”

“God, as if you couldn’t already tell,” Shun pointed at his hair.

I stood in silence.

He gestured at it, “Come on.”

Nothing came to me.

“Really? Nothing?” he crossed his arms, “I dyed it a lighter shade of pink! You guys are really lame to not be able to see it!”

“Sorry, I just-” I looked at the bodies, “There’s a lot more important stuff.”

“Well, I was showering in my cabin. I didn’t even have time to blowdry and mousse. Isn’t that lame?”

“I guess,” I shrugged.

“No, I get it,” he sighed, “It’s more lame that this happened. I’m just trying to make light. Sorry.”

I appreciated his apology. I stored  **Shun’s account** in my head.

“Are you ready?” I asked him, grabbing the end of the rope ladder.

“Really, you’re gonna go first?” He asked, “Narumi’s already at the stairs!”

“Fine,” I let go of the ladder, “Go ahead.”

“Nah,” he shook his head, “Go on ahead, I’ll catch up. I still… I wanna say my goodbyes to Ginko and Ami… They were sweet girls.”

“Oh, uh,” I was taken aback by this, “I- Uh, okay.” I headed up the ladder, then the spiral stairs. I walked in the door to see everyone standing around the coffee table.

“Oh, hey Sen,” Mitsuo said, “You find anything?”

“Not much,” I told him about the water and the blue fabric. He furrowed his brow, knowing it was inconclusive. I asked, “What are you guys looking at?”

I looked down at the coffee table. They were all looking at  **Ginko’s motive papers** . One of them was a picture of she and one of her brothers. I wasn’t sure which one. Another was a picture of Afu wearing a lot of gaudy colors and holding up a peace sign, and on the back of the photo, in Ginko’s handwriting, were the words  _ Ginko + Afu @ Akihabara.  _ The final paper Ginko was offered was a paper, written in pink gel pen. They were words that would even bring me to tears as my eyes scanned Afu’s writing:  _ I’ll miss you sooooo much!!! See you sooner than you think! Okay? _

I didn’t know what it was in reference to, but it was easy to tell what made Ginko so upset.

Under the coffee table were  **Ginko’s shoes** , taken off and carefully placed next to one another, as if she made herself comfortable.

I walked around the room, looking for something, anything else. Behind the bean bag chair that Ginko claimed, tucked somewhat underneath it, was a black, squared tube.

“What’s this?” I asked, picking it up.

Everyone looked at it with confusion written on their faces. Mitsuo touched the end, and said, “It’s the  **sheath of a sword** ,” he touched the end, “The sword goes in here.”

“You’re right,” Oda held it, “But… Why do we even have swords?”

“Maybe it was backstage?” Takumi shrugged, “Remember there were a bunch of props? I guess maybe we thought they were fake on day one?”

“That seems likely,” Narumi frowned.

Shun walked through the door.

“How’s everything?”

“We found a sword sheath,” Takumi said.

“Have you checked out the other room at all?”

Oda shook her head, and said, “We got caught up with Ginko’s motive papers.”

“Well,” I stood, “Let’s check it out.” I opened the door to the rope bridge that connected the two treehouses, only to find that it had been cut. 

“Wh- What?” I knelt by the rope.

“The bridge has been cut, goddammit,” Oda sighed, “Help me hoist it up.”

Together we fed the rope bridge up onto the small porch that we stood on. Oda held up the ends of the rope, “This doesn’t make any sense…”

“What doesn’t?” Narumi asked.

“The  **bridge was cut clean** . There would be no way to get out from the other side,” she thought aloud, “I don’t get it.”

“It’s like a locked room murder,” Shun said, “Like… The only person that could’ve done any of the killing was Ginko herself.”

“Monokuma!” Oda called down to the bear, who stood in the same place.

“What?” he called back, rather annoyed.

“How the hell do we get to the other treehouse if the rope bridge was cut!”

“Jump!” Monokuma laughed, “I don’t know, but you better figure it out if you wanna finish your investigation in time! Tick-tock!”

Oda swore under her breath and then said, “Anyone have any idea of where a long board is… Or like, a ladder?”

“There’s a ladder that goes to the high dive, but it’s cemented down,” Takumi suggested.

“That’s super helpful, thanks,” Oda narrowed her eyes at Takumi. 

“What about like, the couch, or the dining table, are they long enough to fill the gap?” Shun asked.

“That gap is easily twenty feet,” Mitsuo combed his hair out of his eyes, “We can’t jump it, we can’t swing onto it… We can’t climb the tree-”

“The library!” Narumi announced.

“What?”

“The library! It has a ladder to get to the top of the shelves. It’s not tall enough to reach the actual treehouse, but it  _ is _ tall enough to bridge the gap for us to crawl across. I’m sure Gurekuma would let us use it!”

“Gurekuma is in surgery,” Oda said, “Let’s go!”

The six of us ran to the library and stole the ladder from inside. It was tricky getting it up to the treehouse, but it was possible. We carefully laid it over the gap, and crawled across. It was terrifying, being able to see how far down it was from above.

“Don’t look down,” Mitsuo said from behind me, “You’re almost there Sen, you can do it.”

I took a deep breath, and continued on my way.

We opened the door off the porch to find the second tree house in ruins.

I actually hadn’t been to the second tree house. Inside was a normal looking bed, with two bedside tables, and lamps. I wondered why there was no sleeping in the treehouse, the bed looked comfy.

“No wonder there was a no nudity rule,” Shun gasped, “This bed is perfect for fuckin’.”

“Why are you like this?” Narumi pinched the bridge of her nose, “Something fairly obviously happened here.”

“Just as I thought,” Oda walked to the  **broken window** and looked out of it, “Ginko and Ami must have fell out the window.”

I peeked out. They were directly below.

“Found the sword,” Mitsuo pulled back the tented sheets to find the  **sword** sticking deep into the mattress. It had no blood on it.

Opposite the broken window was another, but this one was an  **open window** . I pointed at it and said, “Maybe the killer escaped through this window?”

Oda looked down, “I’m sure this has something to do with it… I just don’t know how they’d get down.”

“Me either.”

“What’s this?” Narumi picked up a small,  **roundish puck** . It was metal, with the number 9 engraved in it. 

“A… A metal ball,” Shun shrugged.

“It’s-” Oda began, but was swiftly interrupted by Monokuma’s loud voice.

“Times up!” he shouted, “Get to the chapel!”

“Give us time to get down!” I called, “We’ll be right there!”

We crossed the ladder once more. Narumi, the last to cross, kicked the ladder down so that we could bring it back once the trial was over.

We walked through the woods to the chapel. I passed Ami’s body, so shaken, and I said goodbye. It wasn’t something I ever pictured myself doing. I just caressed the back of my hand to her cheek, and I said, “Thanks for everything, Ami.”

Mitsuo waited for me to get up, and then he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He said, “She loved you.”

“I loved her too,” a frown crept upon my lips, “She was a good friend.” I could feel that familiar lump in my throat. 

Mitsuo rubbed my back, and we walked together in mourning, all six of us.

Six.

That was the hardest number I’d ever heard. I thought it’d end with Cho. I thought it’d end with Haruka. I thought it’d end with Noboru, with Zuzu, with Gon… But no.

There were six of us left.

We made it to the chapel, and I almost expected to see Gon, maybe in a wheelchair, with Gurekuma. I looked at Monokuma and asked, “What happens if Gon doesn’t participate in this trial?”

“What?” he asked, “Oh the,” he gestured being stabbed in the gut, “He’s dead.”

“ _ What? _ ” I barked.

“You really think he made it out of that?” he laughed triumphantly, “You’re crazy.”

“Then who’s murder are we investigating?” Oda barked, “Who’s the culprit and who’s the victim?”

Monokuma covered his split mouth and covered his giggles:  _ Upu… Upupupupu… _

“I-” It was too much, “We saved him!”

Mitsuo pulled me away from the bear, and into confession.

“I thought we saved him,” I cried into his arms, “I thought he was safe. I thought  _ Ami _ was-”

“You can only save yourself,” Oda said, “Focus on that… And we’ll get out of this.”

Narumi’s long, manicured finger pressed the button labeled  _ Trial Floor _ .

The elevator descended down, into that deadly velvet room.

Monokuma sat on his throne, and Gurekuma was nowhere to be found. Instead, her bathtub was filled with water, and in it was a little rubber ducky.

My eyes scanned the room. Ami’s picture, Ginko’s picture, Gon’s picutre… They all had X’s. I held my breath.

“Alrighty then! Let’s get started!” Monokuma cackled.

All I was by that point was a mess. I was sniffling, crying, letting hoarse sobs from my throat. I hadn’t felt so weak in a trial since… Well, since Cho.

I shook, taking wobbly steps toward my podium.

Every step inched closer to despair.

It was time… It was time for a deadly class trial.

**Students Remaining: 7**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halo voice /double kill
> 
> Sorry for the late update, but here it is! This chapter and the next are doozies I tell u what  
> Update should be on time next week!  
> Big news: I'm ALMOST done on my side of everything! After I finish the last bit, updates will come much faster (I'm thinkin Mondays and Fridays? Maybe?) Or just whenever I feel like! So that'll mean more content to you!  
> I love you all very much! Thank you, as always, for reading!


	27. Chapter Four: Smells Like Teen Despair (CLASS TRIAL)

“Puhu, welcome back, shitheads!” Monokuma settled into his throne.

“Where’s Gurekuma?” Oda asked.

“Oh! She’s been punished for gross negligence!”

“Gross negligence?” I asked, “What do you mean?”

“That doctor went to light because she gave up! So I put her in time out!”

“Then who’s murder are we doing the trial for?” Narumi asked, “Shouldn’t we do the first murder?”

“Well,” Monokuma looked at his wrist, as if he had a watch, “Sure! The first person to die was Ginko, then Ami, then Gon! So…”

“So we’re investigating Ginko’s murder,” Mitsuo said.

“But what about Ami?” I asked, wiping away my tears. I had to calm down if I was going to get to the bottom of it.

“Psh, what about her?” Monokuma leaned back in his chair, “She was boring! Nobody is that perfect! What a lame character!”

“But-”

“No buts! Do you remember how to play this game?”

“Yes,” Mitsuo said.

“How about a little refresher-”

“‘ _ Majority vote determines the result. If the majority can figure out ‘whodunnit’, then they will receive their due punishment. But if you can’t, then I’ll punish everyone besides the blackened, and they can walk free _ ’,” Oda mocked, “It’s ingrained in my memory.”

Monokuma crossed his arms, and mumbled under his breath something about Oda being a bitch.

“I never got to ask for alibis,” Mitsuo said, “Did anyone else collect them?”

“I did,” I said, “You and me and Oda were with Gurekuma and Gon, Takumi was swimming, Narumi was in the spa, and Shun was showering.”

“So everyone was separated,” Narumi looked around, “I suppose if the three of you were together… Well, that only leaves the three of us to be suspects.”

“Bullshit,” Shun said, “Mitsuo’s so whipped by Sen, who knows how far he’d cover for her.”

“But I was there too,” Oda said.

“You’re whipped by Sen too,” Shun held out his pointer and thumb, and they were millimeters away from touching, “She’s  _ this _ close to starting a harem.”

“Shut up,” I said, “This is serious.”

“I know it is,” Shun crossed his arms, “That’s why I don’t care too much about the alibis until we get to the rest of the evidence.”

“Anyways,” Narumi interrupted, “This is a murder trial. I think we should discuss the victims and evidence.”

“The victims were Ginko and Ami,” Mitsuo said, “Two very unrelated people.”

“Maybe the murderer just didn’t like how many girls were at camp. Too much competition.”

“You’re such an asshole!” I barked, “Be serious for just a second!”

“I am-”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” Oda said.

“Let’s change the subject,” Narumi said, “How about… what was the murder weapon?”

“It was that stick,” Mitsuo said, “With the handle.”

“But what  _ was _ it?” Narumi asked.

“Just put two pieces together,” Oda said.

“Which two- Oh!” I remembered, and put the two pieces together in my brain. When the  **clean cut spear** was attached to the  **rounded puck** , it became a 9-iron. “It was a 9-iron.”

“A gold club?” Shun asked.

“So it was a cut golf club,” Takumi said, “Cut with what?”

“It’s so obvious,” Oda said.

“The sword,” I agreed.

“Then how did this happen?” Takumi said, “I think we should take it from the top?”

“Okay,” Narumi said, “So 

“So Ginko came at the murderer with a sword?” Shun shrugged, “And Ginko cut the club with the sword. But the murderer didn’t give a fuck and stabbed it through Ginko, and Ami, who was watching the fight.”

“How would Ginko not stab them though?” Mitsuo asked, “I think the sword had the same range, if not more range, than the 9-iron.”

“What if it was an accident! What if Ginko and Ami fell?” Narumi asked, “Right out the window, and onto the rod?”

“That’s can’t be true,” I frowned, “Narumi, think about the  **blood on the club** .”

“What?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“The club was completely clean on the handle, all the way down to Ginko’s body. If they had fallen on top of it, then the blood would be visible from tip to tip.”

“What if- What if the killer wiped it down?”

“Then that would mean it wasn’t an accident,” I raised an eyebrow, confused.

“True,” she sighed.

“I don’t think we can take the events from the top if we don’t even know the order of events. I think we should take each thing at a time,” Mitsuo said, “So let’s start with the girls. Why was Ginko there?”

“I think she was squatting there, waiting for someone to return,” I said.

“Probably you, considering you got away.”

I nodded.

“But instead, she ran into Gon,” Oda said, “Which still made her angry, considering  _ A,  _ what she did to him, and  _ B,  _ her  **motive papers** .”

“So she attacked Gon,” Shun said, “and then what? Went upstairs for the body discovery announcement to go off?”

“Probably,” I said, “If she set up shop there, maybe it would look like she had been there too long to commit the murder.”

“Or, she didn't care. She was on a path of destruction. The treehouse was a good place to scope people out from,” Oda said, “And considering she was on the hunt, she didn’t want to miss anyone on her shit list.”

“But how do you even know she made herself comfortable there?” Shun asked, “It’s not like she wrote down, ‘ _ I’m Ginko and I live here now _ .’ We weren’t allowed to sleep there, either!”

_ Why did we assume she made herself comfortable there _ ? I asked myself, but all things pointed to one thing: “She had  **removed her shoes** . If she were in and out of the treehouse, walking though the woods, she’d want to keep her shoes on. But she didn’t. I think she was trying to lay low, at least.”

“I still feel like we’re getting nowhere,” Shun threw his head back.

“Well, how about, why was Ami there?” Takumi suggested.

“Wh-”

“You’re right,” Mitsuo said, “Why  _ was  _ Ami there?”

We all paused a second, and then Oda said, “Well, I think it has everything to do with where Ami was when she was killed.”

“In the bedroom, right?” Takumi asked.

“No,” Oda shook her head.

“That’s because she was killed where we found her,” I gasped, “She didn’t go up to the treehouse at all.”

“That makes sense!” Shun said, “Didn’t the Monokuma file say she had a broken rib? If a whole person fell on you from that height, sure, you’d break a rib. And then,” he made a gross noise, “The spear was thrown down on both of them.”

“Speaking of Monokuma file… Didn’t it say Ginko had a bruised arm?”

“It was probably given to her in the bedroom of the treehouse,” Narumi said, “considering the state of the room.”

“So does that mean the killer followed her up?” Mitsuo asked, “With a golf club in hand?”

“That wouldn’t make sense,” Oda said, “I feel like if the killer burst through the door with a weapon, Ginko would’ve brandished her sword and the whole fight would’ve happened right there.”

“So you’re saying the killer was in the bedroom the whole time?” I asked.

“Probably,” she shrugged, “It makes more sense that Ginko initiated the fight to begin with.”

“What?” Narumi gasped, “You’re saying Ginko was murdered in self defense?”

“More than likely,” she gestured at me, then the picture of Gon, “Look at her streak. She had a sword. I don’t think anyone here was as bloodthirsty as she was.”

I swallowed.

“So, Narumi, Takumi, Shun, where were you guys again?” Mitsuo asked.

“I was in the spa, destressing,” she let out an ironic laugh.

“I was swimming in the pool,” Takumi bit his lip.

“I was dying my hair in my cabin!” Shun looked angry that he was even considered.

“So all of those places are not the treehouse, meaning someone’s lying-”

“Hey you fucker!” Shun shouted, “It also doesn’t have to be one of us! The doctor ain’t here!”

“ _ The doctor _ go stabbed in the stomach,” I clutched my podium, “He didn’t have a lot of time, so he walked straight to help.”

“No, that’s bullshit,” Shun said, “Gon could’ve easily been the killer.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“Think about it,” Shun said, “His guilt of ruining Ginko’s life loomed over daily! He mutilated Afu, remember! So he watched Ginko try to kill Sen, and he ran upstairs to catch her by surprise, there was a struggle, Gon stabs Ginko with the club, and throws her out the window!”

“While that is an interesting hypothesis,” I said, “That leaves so much unanswered. What about the cut bridge? How did he get down? And why was he with Mitsuo, looking for Ginko shortly before?”

“Okay, maybe it’s a little crazy, but he’s the only one that would do it. Mitsuo left Gon, and Gon went after Ginko, the struggle in the bedroom left the bridge cut, Gon stabbed, and Ginko dead and out the window. Gon, not knowing how to get down and knowing it would paint him a murderer jumped out the open window, survived, and limped his way to Gurekuma, who he knew could fix him up.”

“That's ridiculous!” I shouted, “Gon was stabbed outside the treehouse! Gon never went up! Remember there was a small  **pool of blood** ?”

“Oh shit.”

“Yeah, that’s probably where Ginko stabbed Gon, and then, hoping he would get a ways away before dying, she ran upstairs to make herself look innocent,” I said, “She didn’t expect him to live long enough to tell everyone she was a murderer.”

“Fuck,” Shun swore under his breath.

“I think we’ve got some things pretty figured out,” Mitsuo said, “We know Ginko was in the treehouse, laying low, and that the murderer got there sometime before her.”

“The murderer probably saw her try to kill Gon too!” I said.

“So the culprit was in the bedroom, when they witnessed the attempted murder… Then they came at her with golf club? That still doesn’t bring them to the bedroom!” Takumi pointed out.

“That’s true,” Oda said, putting her hand on her chin.

I paused a moment, and then said, “Then the culprit didn’t want to kill…”

“They probably wanted to hide,” Shun said, “Or wait until trial.”

“But Ginko probably heard them, or came to the bedroom and found them, probably wanting to fight for her life,” Takumi said, “And that’s when the struggle came.”

“Okay, so,” Narumi said, “So far, we’ve got: Ginko was in the first room of the treehouse after she attacked Gon, she settled in waiting for a body discovery, but heard someone in the other room, and that’s when she went to investigate… With the sword.”

“More than likely.”

“And that’s when the murderer… Fought for their life,” I sighed, “It was self defense.”

“That’s… That still doesn’t explain Ami!” Narumi said.

“That means… Ami was an accident,” I held my breath.

“That makes sense,” Mitsuo said, “If Ami never made it up to the treehouse, she probably heard the struggle, was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and… Got landed on.”

“Oh no,” Narumi frowned.

“That still doesn’t answer who it is!” Oda yelled, slamming her hand down on her podium, “Who the fuck killed them? I don’t care if it was an accident, or self-defense, or whatever! Two people are dead, and we will be too if you don’t turn yourself in!”

Nobody said anything.

“Do you know what else doesn’t make sense,” I said, “How the hell did they get out? Why was the rope bridge cut?”

“That’s… That’s true,” Narumi said, “There’s no way out of there…”

“Maybe they cut it on the other side?” Shun asked.

“That wouldn’t make sense,” Oda said, “It was cut on the other side.”

“Or they pulled on it until it finally broke,” Takumi said.

“No, that’s not it. It was a  **clean cut rope** ,” I said, “It had to be cut from the bedroom side… It had to be… That’s it!”

“What’s it?”

“The rope was cut by whomever, so that the murderer  _ couldn’t _ escape! Whoever cut it wanted the blame to be put on them fully!”

“That would make sense that Ginko cut it then,” Oda said, “because, at least, if she didn’t make it out of there… Then all the blame would be put on the murderer.”

“But… That would kill us all,” Narumi said.

“She wanted to gut Sen with a knife, calling her the  _ Mastermind _ ,” Mitsuo crossed his arms, “I think she was okay with collateral damage.”

“That’s… That’s so unlike her,” Narumi frowned.

“Is it?”

“Yes… Ginko was sweet, and caring…”

“She  _ was _ ,” Oda said, “And I used to not care about anyone but myself. Noboru used to be trustworthy. Zuzu used to be alive. This killing game changes all of us.”

“That’s-”

“That’s the truth.”

Narumi sighed. Shun said, “That still doesn’t answer how the killer got out.”

“Are we sure Ginko cut the rope?” Takumi said, “Maybe the killer did, and rode it down as it fell, slamming into the stairs. That’d hurt, but they’d make it out okay?”

“Here’s why I don’t think it was the killer,” I said, “Remember the sword?”

“It was sticking out of the bed!”

“It would be impossible to keep the bridge from falling over long enough to stick the sword in bed. And the bed is too far to still hold the bridge steady and stick it in.”

“So there must have been another way down,” Oda said.

“Which leads me to  **the open window** ,” I said.

“The killer couldn’t have jumped from the window,” Shun said, “That whole way down would at least break their legs.”

“Yeah, and there wasn’t anything left at the crime scene that points to there being an escape rope or a cushion,” Shun said.

“Except…” I said, “Narumi, what did you find when we were investigating?”

She looked at me puzzled for a moment, and then said, “Oh, the fabric?”

“I think… We might be looking at it wrong,” I said, “Is there anything else the fabric can be?”

“Uh,” Narumi paused, “I don’t know… It’s just a piece of plastic.”

“Exactly,” I said, “It’s a blue, thin sheet of plastic. I think it ripped off by dragging something heavy… Which is what left the  **wet spot** on the forest floor.”

Nobody seemed to get what I was saying. Oda paused, and then whispered, “God damn it.”

“I don’t-” Shun looked at all of us, “I don’t get it? A tarp with wet towels?”

“What’s wet and plasticky?” Narumi asked, “Because at first I thought it was an article of clothing.”

“Maybe it was a parachute? Or a makeshift parachute?” Takumi shrugged.

“No,” Oda said, “Parachutes can’t be wet. I think it wouldn’t work as well. It has to be something that maybe… could be  _ filled _ with water.”

“So they could jump into it and it’d soften their fall!” I pointed, “Smart! Like when those guys…  _ oh _ .”

“When they what?” Mitsuo asked.

“Do you wanna say it,” Oda looked at me, “Or do you want me to?”

“When those guys… Do a high dive… into a kiddie pool.”

“A- A- A  _ what _ ?” Mitsuo asked.

“A high dive... Do you know anything about that, Takumi?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“W- Wh- What?” Takumi gasped, “Wh- Why does that- How is a kiddie pool an escape route? How does a sheet of plastic mean a kiddie pool?”

“I-”

“Why would I have a kiddie pool set up? This is so bogus, I’m being framed!”

“Taku-”

“Shun did it! He didn’t dye his hair! It’s blood! I don’t understand!”

“I don’t want to do this, Takumi!”

“Then leave me alone! I’d never, ever hurt anyone! Not Ginko, not you guys, not Ami! It was Gon, it was Narumi! It wasn’t me!”

“Takumi!” I shouted, “ _ You are a diver _ !” My hands slammed against the podium, “The only person that would know how to survive a fall from that height into water is you! That’s something you’d want to do in your free time! Practicing such a high stakes, high dive, especially when the only thing you have to lose in this game is your life, that’s something only the Super High School Level Diver would do!”

“What?” Shun barked in surprise, “Takumi did it?”

“Yes,” I said with certainty, “And here’s how: Last night, I went to the woods in search of Ginko… But that’s when she attacked me. I ran away to safety, and stitches with Gurekuma. Ginko, in hopes to jump me yet again, or in fear that others might come looking for her, hid in the woods around the treehouse, waiting to find either me alone again, or Gon alone. Mitsuo and Gon passed her by, but she had no qualm with Mitsuo. She waited until Gon was alone. In that time, the murderer was able to set up a little entertainment for himself. He filled up a kiddie pool, climbed all the way to the treehouse, then to the bedroom where he readied himself for his trick dive. But while he hyped himself up for the jump, he heard commotion outside. This was the commotion of Ginko and attacking Gon. He witnessed the whole thing, and seeing Gon run off with the knife in his gut he hid, hoping Ginko wouldn’t find him and then he could testify against her. But he made a noise, maybe opening a window to escape alerted her. So Ginko unsheathed her sword, walked across the bridge, and opened the door to find Takumi trying to escape. She took one look at him, cut the bridge behind her, while he brandished the only weapon that was available to him, the nine iron. They dueled. She cut the 9-iron, turning it into a deadly weapon. He hit her arm causing her to drop the sword, and in the only way he could defend himself he stabbed Ginko through chest, and pushed her through the window, breaking it. Unfortunately, below, was Ami, who heard the two fighting. When the glass window burst open, she probably cowered, turning her back on the break, only to be skewered through the back, and killed instantly. The murderer, frightened by what happened, took his dive, surviving the fall, and dragging his kiddie pool away to dump it out. The only problem was the forest floor was rough, and it took a chunk of the pool off. Once his pool was deflated, he ran into the woods, disposed of the evidence, dressed himself, and waited for the body discovery announcement, all under the guise of a morning dip… And that murderer is you… Takumi Nanako.”

“No- I- It was an accident!” Takumi was clutching his podium, “Ginko attacked me! I thought she killed Gon! I thought- I thought I was saving her from execution!”

“That’s not an excuse,” Oda pointed, “And your collateral damage killed-”

“You think I don’t know that Ami died?” Takumi was crying, “It was an accident! A freak accident! She landed on Ami and killed her!”

“But you didn’t have to kill Ginko,” Narumi said, “You could’ve talked-”

“You don’t think I tried!” Takumi sobbed, “It was her, or me! She made that very clear!”

“And what would’ve happened if it was you?” Shun asked, “She would’ve been trapped with the body?”

“I don’t know! Maybe she had a plan,” Mitsuo explained, “Maybe she was ready to die, and kill everyone with it. There wouldn’t be a body discovery announcement if there was no bridge. Maybe she’d stay with Takumi’s body and wait-”

“To pick us off, one by one,” Oda said, “She wanted to finish the game.”

“This is boring,” Monokuma said, “Enough of the what-ifs and why-nots! It’s time to  _ vote _ !”

“If I had known Ami would die,” he hiccuped, “I would’ve let Ginko kill me. I would’ve let her fucking eviscerate me. Ami didn’t- She didn’t deserve to die.”

“You don’t either!” Mitsuo shouted.

“What?” Oda said.

“What?” Shun echoed.

“It was self defense!”

“And Ami died because of it!” Oda said.

“Do you really think that Takumi knew that?”

“It doesn’t matter the circumstance!” Shun said, “A murder is a murder! This game is about murder and killing and nothing else!”

“There has to be conditions!” Mitsuo looked at Monokuma, who laughed.

“Pah! You’re as dumb as you are stupid!”

“That’s-”

“Alright now kids,” Monokuma instructed, “Voterooni! How’s that sound?”

“ _ Terrible _ !” Mitsuo sneered.

“ _ Please, _ ” Takumi was in pieces, “ _ I didn’t mean to! She was my only friend left! I didn’t wanna hurt anyone! _ ”

My finger hovered Takumi’s picture. I looked down to see everyone we had already lost greyed out. My eyes locked with a single picture.

“Is that everyone?” Monokuma asked, “Alright-”

“Wait!” I pressed Takumi’s picture on my device, and ran to Gon’s podium, his x-ed out photo standing tall there. I pushed it aside, and clicked on Takumi’s picture on Gon’s podium. Monokuma eyed me and murmured, “Any more last minute discoveries?”

“Are you  _ kidding _ me?” Takumi wiped his nose, “Gon’s still  _ alive _ ?”

I looked Takumi in his teary, brown eyes and said, “I’m sorry Takumi.”

“Let’s tally these votes!” Monokuma slammed the button in front of him. A loading wheel turned for a moment, and then Takumi’s picture appeared in front of us, bright and colorful for a moment, then it was decorated with the words  _ GUILTY  _ over his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to!” Takumi screamed.

“Good job everyone,” Monokuma congratulated us, “Another victory!”

“I- I’m sorry,” Takumi’s fingers were digging into the wood, “I’m so fucking sorry.” His eyes were bleeding tears, and his nose was running profusely. He bit his lip as hard as he possibly could, “I didn’t-”

“We get it, we get it,” Monokuma seemed to roll his eyes, “You didn’t mean to. You feel bad. Too bad, ugly! You killed, time for you to get killed!”

“I-”

“Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for our Super High School Level Diver,” Monokuma announced his usual announcement.

“Takumi,” Mitsuo took a step down from his podium, “Come here.”

Takumi looked at Mitsuo with lit up eyes. Mitsuo walked over to Takumi with open arms. Takumi looked at Mitsuo with surprise in his eyes, and then collapsed in his arms. Mitsuo held him in a hug for just a moment, until the bear spoke once more.

“Let’s give it everything we got!”

Mitsuo gave Takumi a tight squeeze. He was comforting him. I couldn’t help but feel as horrible as Takumi did.

“ _ It’s punishment time _ !” Monokuma slammed the button once more.

The familiar claw dropped down and wrapped itself around Takumi’s neck. Mitsuo held tighter. I could see Takumi’s fingers dig into the fabric of Mitsuo’s jacket, the bones of his shoulders.

It was only when Mitsuo felt Takumi begin to lift off the floor did he let go. Takumi held just a second longer, and then released. Soon, he was gone, and was only replaced by a light that blipped on:  _ ON AIR. _

The screen paused a moment, and then the words displayed:  _ High, High, High Dive! _

Takumi was dropped on a boat, in the middle of the lake. He already looked green. A Monokuma dressed as a sailor strapped an anchor to his leg, and pointed at a ladder that rose up from the boat.

Takumi looked confused for a moment, and then, after a firm smack to his bottom, started to climb the ladder, struggling with carrying the anchor up as it dug into the skin of his ankle.

He escalated, getting higher and higher. The ladder seemed impossibly high. Eventually, he got to the board, tugging the anchor up with him. He looked down at the ocean he was to dive into, and frowned.

Unfortunately, the weight of both he and the anchor snapped the diving board as he pondered, sending them plunging into the ocean.

Both Takumi and his anchor landed in the ocean, but his anchor sunk faster than he could swim up.

We had to watch him struggle to find air. He watched him scream out bubbles as he disappeared into the dark. Takumi drowned, engulfed in his fear of open water.

The screen turned to static.

We were all silent.

I looked at Takumi’s picture one more time.

“Fuck,” Shun swore under his breath, “Fuck, fuck, god damn it.”

“He deserved it,” Oda said, taking a step off the podium, “The only person undeserving in this scenario was Ami. And she got ignored the whole trial, because Ginko needed attention even in death.”

“Oda, what’s-”

“I’m just telling the truth,” Oda looked at Narumi, before stepping inside the elevator.

Mitsuo walked up to me, and gave me a hug. I was shaking, and I hadn’t noticed until he held me tight.

He placed a single kiss at the top of my head and whispered, “You fought hard, Senshine.”

I openly wailed in his arms.

The ride up was silent. We all stared at one another. There were five of us, and Gon, who  _ had  _ to be alive.

That was all that was left. The five people were all I had.

We came back outside to find that the day was very much still in session. The sun was out, birds were singing, it was beautiful out.

Nobody had energy to enjoy it. Instead we retired to our cabin to meet the following day, hoping the game would end soon.

I fell asleep that night, thinking about how hard guilt drove the game.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma sits beside Gurekuma in the hospital. Her face is still severely puffed up, but she is now attached to an IV, and under appropriate care.

“Do you know what’s weird? How lives can be taken and saved in the same room. Hospitals are cultured with death and decay, but they are established to save lives! It’s almost like the building is resurrected for hope, but only leads to despair…”

 

  
_****_ **Students Remaining: 6**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRICKED YA except I forgot to make the student remaining chart correct so I guess i didn't fool anyone.  
> Goodbye my sweet.  
> Next chapter delivers some realness, AND will be a double update!!! I love you guys!
> 
> ALSO!!! PLEASE READ THIS  
> IDK IF YOU WILL  
> But all the cool kids are creating discords, and I was wondering if you guys would like me to create a discord! I can talk to you guys there more in depth about characters, and maybe i can do drawing requests for characters in the fic! Just please leave a comment if that sounds like a fun idea to you!


	28. Chapter Five: The Flower of Despair in the Valley of Hope (PART I)

_“I don’t know,” Cho looked uneasy, “I feel like that guy radiates bad luck.”_

_“We missed his day though,” I really tried to instill guilt into her, “Nobody missed your day, everyone paid special attention to you, even when you went on about different dinner specials on flights!”_

_“Well at least her’s is interesting,” Joben looked up from his book, “Ito’s is just… It’s sad to watch. I didn’t even think that Hope’s Peak would consider that a talent.”_

_“We have to make it up to him though,” I said, “He’s already bummed out enough.”_

_“Do you think it was an accident I took the three of us out of class that day?” Joben sneered, “I didn’t want any of his… talent rubbing off on you.”_

_“Awe, Joben loves us,” Cho gave his arm a little punch._

_He rolled his eyes._

_“I’m just saying… he seems… nice,” I didn’t know if it was the truth, or a bold faced lie, “I think he needs friends.”_

_“Are you seriously saying you want to be friends with that... that... that-”_

 

I woke up in the morning to incessant knocking at my door. It was just tapping: _tap tap tap tap._ I wrapped my sheet around my whole body, and answered the door.

It was Gurekuma.

“Good morning Miss Oshiro,” she said, “I hope you got your eight hours.” She let herself in.

“Oh, uh,” I looked at her waddle into my room with a small bag that had a red plus on it. I shrugged, “If I didn’t… I was well on my way to.”

She yawned, something I didn’t think robots could do, “I was up all night. It was horrible. But because of your busy day yesterday, your bandages were never changed. Please sit.”

“Oh,” I looked at her, and sat at the edge of my bed, “Oda said she’d do it.”

“Oda is a camper first, and a caretaker second,” Gurekuma said. Somehow, she looked tired, “I am only a caretaker-”

“And a librarian, and a camp counselor.”

“I’m… Whatever you kids need,” she sighed, and unwrapped my arm, “So, Mr. Nanako left camp yesterday.”

I sighed. The feeling of death still sat heavy on my chest: I couldn’t believe I lost Ginko, Ami, and Takumi in the same day. I nodded, “It was self defense.”

“That’s too bad,” Gurekuma frowned, “He was a sweet boy. He was an excellent swimmer.”

“Of course,” I agreed.

“And Miss Uchida and Miss Shiota as well,” she said, “I adore all of you campers. I hate losing you to Monokuma.”

“Me too,” I said, “Wait… How’s Gon?”

“He’s stable,” he said, sounding relieved, “The knife missed anything vital. The scariest thing was keeping him from going into septic shock… But,” she let out a big sigh of relief, “He’s in the nurse’s tent, resting! I did it!”

“Can I visit?”

“Not yet… There’s not much _to_ visit. He needs his rest more than anything, and I don’t want him getting woken up just to say hello,” he said, “He’s a nice boy like that. He’d stay up to talk to you.”

“Yeah, that’s what I-”

“He loves you all dearly,” Gurekuma finished with my arm, “The saddest thing was, when he woke up, he was calling for Miss Inoue. He even palmed at the space next to him in his hospital bed… I think, if he did black out at all, he dreamed about her.”

“I think we’re all having dreams.”

“Dreams about your pasts?” she asked me, packing up her stuff, “Do you often dream about school?”

“Actually, more of my dreams when I’m here are about my classmates, then about nothing… They’re all, normal. Just us being kids… Isn’t that sad?”

“Maybe they’re not dreams,” Gurekuma put her paw to her mouth, though what she said was intentional, “I will let you know when Mr. Uramoto is in the condition to accept visitors.”

“Alright, thanks Gurekuma,” I waved her out.

I sat on my bed a minute longer, and then the morning announcement went off.

It was another day… It was another morning… It was another motive, and area, and chapter in the killing game.

I dressed myself, and walked to the dining hall. It was empty. I was hardly ever the first one there in the morning, but I assumed it was because I was already up.

I started to cook. Cooking for five seemed manageable. I wasn’t a wonderful cook, but I could make rice in a rice cooker, and follow the instructions on the back of boxes and such.

People came marching in, eventually, it was everyone that could leave their beds: Mitsuo, Oda, Narumi, Shun, and I.

We ate breakfast in mostly silence, with little bits of conversation here and there. By this point, we were all introspective.

Monokuma came in, as we all expected, and said, “Man, it feels like a funeral in here.”

Nobody responded to him.

“You guys eatin’ brekkie?”

More silence.

“Well, just as always, there is a new part of camp I’d like to unveil, and a motive I’d like to give to all of you!”

“Just go away,” Mitsuo said.

“You don’t want the other part of camp?” Monokuma seemed to frown.

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“Oh poo,” Monokuma held himself, “Well, I’ll just take it back then…”

“Idiot,” Shun narrowed his eyes at Mitsuo, and then said, “What is it?”

“No, no, it’s okay. Mitsuo doesn’t want it.”

Oda looked at Mitsuo and then said, “Then Mitsuo doesn’t have to use it.”

“I think Mitsuo is the one who has the most use for it,” Monokuma said, “I’m opening up my camper records office.”

Mitsuo immediately stood, his chair launching behind him, “Where is it?”

Monokuma turned on his heel, “I thought you didn’t want it!”

“I want it!” Mitsuo slammed his hands against the table, “I’m serious, take us there _now_!”

“Ooh, tough guy,” Monokuma said, “How about everyone finished breakfast and-”

“ _Now!_ ” Mitsuo barked.

“Alright, alright, yeesh,” Monokuma said, “Follow me!”

Monokuma took us toward the nurse’s tent, and into the thick woods behind it. A narrow trail was made, where we only walked for five minutes to find a big wall of vines. The little bear yanked them down, and said, “Ta-da!”

Behind the vines was a red door with a plaque on the door. The plaque read:

  * ONLY ONE STUDENT AT A TIME PERMITTED
  * EACH VISIT MAY NOT BE ANY LONGER THAN 40 MINUTES, WITH 40 MINUTE BREAKS BETWEEN VISITS
  * NO DESTRUCTION OF ANY STUDENT RECORDS IS PERMITTED
  * NO FIRE IN THE STUDENT RECORDS OFFICE



“Wait, only one at a time?” I asked.

“Yepperoni!” Monokuma said, “Lemme break it down for you chumps… One student may visit for forty total minutes at a time, and _ding_ once that forty minutes is up, they have to stay away fro forty minutes.”

“Forty total minutes?” Mitsuo said, “So I can go in for twenty minutes, go pee, and come back for another twenty minutes?”

“Bingo,” Monokuma said.

“Does there have to be a forty minute break between students?” he asked.

“Nope!” Monokuma said.

“This is a lame new place,” Shun said, “The only person that’s gonna care about it is Mitsuo.”

“That’s not true!” I said, “I think it’s a good thing… Maybe if we find out more about our student life at Hope’s Peak, we can remember how we got here in the first place!”

“That’s true,” Oda said, “It’d also be nice to read the files on people we didn’t get to spend much time with… Like Joben, or Cho.”

“Agreed,” Narumi said.

“Oh,” Monokuma said, “Just one more thing… These files were grabbed in a haste… So nothings organized. There are no files in these file cabinets! Just papers!”

We all went white in the face.

“Now then!” Monokuma said, “What wants the motive!”

“None of us!” Mitsuo said.

“Stop speaking for everyone!” Monokuma barked back. He pulled out a transparent green CD case and showed us all. All it said was _Hope’s Peak Academy Class B_ , in my handwriting. Something was wiped off before the letter B. Monokuma explained, “If one of you kills another, I’ll let you have a little movie night before the investigation!”

“Is that… our class?” Mitsuo turned to face all of us.

“Classroom B… It sounds so… familiar,” Shun said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if that was us.”

“Guys,” I said, “That’s in my handwriting.”

“Oh, fuck,” Mitsuo said.

“I’ll keep it safe for now, but until then! Happy hunting!” Those were Monokuma’s last words before he left the five of us to our own devices.

“I’m going first,” Mitsuo said, pushing past us and opening the door.

“But what about-” The door shut behind him, before I could finish my sentence, “breakfast.”

“Well, we’re never gonna see that guy again,” Shun said, “I’m gonna go finish my food, who’s with me?”

I shook my head, and headed to the equipment room to play with the vending machine a while.

From it, I got an unclaimed mix tape of hardcore sounding music, a creepy porcelain doll with a “Three Brothers” sticker of authenticity, and green, glittery nail polish. With Mitsuo working hard, and Gon in the hospital, I thought I’d pay a visit to Shun, who was, surprisingly, cleaning up in the kitchen.

“Hey Shun,” I said, walking through the door, “Where’d everyone go?”

“Narumi went for a stress soak,” he said, stacking plates, “And Oda went to fire some arrows into a target to get out her anger.”

“And you’re… doing dishes.”

“I think… It’s respectful not only to my fellow campers, but also… Ami, who would do it for us. So, I’m gonna do it in her absence.”

I took two of the cups, “We can take turns… You don’t have to be the dish guy.”

“Nah, I like feeling useful.”

“You already do a lot,” I said, “You dyed everyone’s hair.”

“I didn’t get to give everyone hair makeovers,” he sighed, “God, what I would’ve done with Takumi’s hair…”

“What would you have done?”

“Oh fuck, you want me to go on about it?” We carried dishes to the sink, “His hair was blonde, but decently thick. I don’t know if it was natural? It didn’t look like it, but it felt like it, you know?”

“You felt his hair?”

“Oh hell yeah,” Shun said, “I’ve run my hands through everyone’s hair. A lot of people don’t notice, I’m so good.”

I tried not to be creeped out by that, “I guess you are an _ultimate_ , after all.”

“I am _the_ ultimate. I’m the coolest. I’m the sickest… Sen, I’m hardcore.”

“Hardcore? Oh!” I opened up my bag, and handed him a the mixtape, “I found this, it’s pretty hardcore.”

“Hardcore?” He shot me a smile, “Then I’ll have to check it out… Maybe it’ll be my theme music.”

We sat together at the dining table, it felt extra roomy with nobody there.

“So… How did you get into haircutting?” I asked him.

“Oh man,” he scoffed, “I lived in a house with my dad who has hair to his waist… And like- ever since Mom skipped town, he lost all his confidence to get himself all shaped and lookin’ nice. So I picked up a pair of scissors and cut all my hair off.”

“Wait, _your_ hair?”

“Yep,” he held his hand to his chest, “My hair went to my nipples, like a merman or some shit. But I wanted to show my dad that he could reinvent himself. So I did it first.”

“So what did you do?” I asked, “What style did you go for?”

He snickered, “Mohawk.”

My eyebrows raised, “Like mohawk, mohawk?”

He nodded, “Like six inches off my head. It was violet and completely ridiculous.”

“And did your dad cut his hair?” I leaned forward.

“He was my first client. I told him why I did mine… And, shit, for the first time in forever, he lit up. He was… proud to hear that I liked what I did, and felt comfortable with the scissors in my hands. He let me give him a little pomp. He still has that haircut… He said it suited him more than the long hair. And I found my happy place.”

“Did you ever think you’d become a Hope’s Peak Student? Just from cutting your dad’s and your hair?”

“Oh fuck yeah!” He scoffed, “I worked my ass off after all that! I was cuttin’ hair for the whole neighborhood. Dyes and styles and all that shit! When they scouted me you wanna know what I said to that son of a bitch?”

“What?”

“About damn time!”

I laughed, “Well good for you! Did you wanna go to beauty school or-”

“School?” He belted a lout _ha_ , “Yeah, I’m not going to do any more fucking school every again. Who even knows if I’ll go back to Hope’s Peak after this.”

“What? Why not?”

“I don’t need school,” he snickered, “I was scouted by Hope’s Peak. I’ve worked on celebrity hair and beautiful rich hair, I don’t need to go to school to open my own posh salon. God, I could be booked solid until the day I die just planning people’s cuts and dyes, I’m unstoppable.”

“But isn’t getting a high school degree the best course of action? Just in case?”

“There is no just in case,” Shun shrugged, and leaned back in his chair, “I’m either cuttin’ hair, or something horrible happened to me. Without my talent… I don’t know _who_ I’d become.” His chair lifted on its back two legs.

“Probably an average Joe,” I smiled, “If that’s the worst case scenario, I think you’re set.”

“Sen, I’d rather-” He leaned too far back, and landed on his ass. I ran forward, worried for a moment, but also holding in laughter.

Deep from his chest, I could hear his laughter escape. He nodded his head forward, and said, “Damn it… Dude…”

I helped him up, and dusted him off. We talked about hair for awhile longer, and then he left to the spa. I walked him there, considering I had nothing better to do, and as he went though the door of the men’s side, Narumi came out of the women’s side.

“Oh, hello Sen,” she greeted me, “Were you going in for a soak?”

“Ah, no, I was just walking Shun over… Killing time now that-”

She laughed nervously, “That there are so few of us left?”

I didn’t know whether or not that was rhetorical.

“Would you like to join me? I was heading back to my room to do some reading, but-”

“That actually sounds nice,” I said, “I like reading in company.”

I headed back to the cabins with Narumi, on the way over, we talked about what could be on the disc. She theorized it was a video slideshow or yearbook. I thought maybe it was my own photo album of personal pictures at Hope’s Peak. She asked if I was afraid I was being blackmailed.

I wasn’t… really.

I stopped by my cabin to grab one of my books in my growing little collection. Despite what I told Gon, it felt nice to have my own books in my room, and Gurekuma hardly kept track. As I was leaving my room, I saw the porcelain doll, with her pretty glass eyes and beautiful eyelashes, and thought of Narumi.

I picked up the dolls weighty body in my hands, and walked to Narumi’s cabin.

I entered the cabin, and she took one look at the doll.

“Ah, Sen- Oh! Who is this?”

“Oh,” I laughed a bit, “I found this, and I thought you might like to keep it.”

“I actually, yes, it’s- Is that okay that I do?” She picked up the doll gingerly in her hands, “She’s gorgeous.”

“I thought you might say that.”

“My mom used to collect these,” she laughed, placing it down on her desk, “I know a lot of people think they’re creepy or haunted, but I just see them as things so… reminiscent of good times.”

“That’s nice to hear,” I smiled as I watched her fix her curls and dress.

I sat on Narumi’s chaise lounge, and she laid in her bed and together we read in silence. It was nice just hearing her hum and turn the page. She even snickered at a part, and when I looked up at her, she bit her lip and whispered, “Sorry.”

I sat up, “No don’t be.”

“It’s just,” she shook her head and sighed, “Something funny ha- Ahem.” She dog-eared her page and sat up all the way, “What are you reading?”

I placed my little tab in the book, and showed her the cover. She smiled, “I haven’t read that one.”

“Apparently I did… And it feels like I did,” I sighed, “But I still want to know what happens next.”

“How does it feel like you’ve read it, if you don’t know what happens?”

“Everything feels… Predictable? Like, even twists that I wouldn’t normally see coming, I could tell were there before the written word told me. It’s… weird.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stop you from reading, though.”

“Oh no,” I shook her worry off, “I actually wanted to ask you something.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“What do you plan to do after Hope’s Peak? Do you want to be a therapist?”

“I want to get my license, yes,” she smiled and tucked the longest part of her bang behind her ear. Narumi was quite pretty. I feel like it would be hard for some patients to look her in the eye. She said, “So after we get rescued, I’d like to graduate from Hope’s Peak Academy, and then pursue higher education, get my doctorates-”

“And be a therapist of your own?”

“No,” she shook her head, “I’d like to be a crisis counselor for Hope’s Peak Academy students.”

“What?”

“Yeah!” she nodded, “As soon as I was scouted, I knew exactly what I wanted to be.”

“Wh- I didn’t know Hope’s Peak students needed crisis counseling.”

“Of course they do. When you’re told that you’re the hope for the world's future and you have to know what you want to become to help the world move forward when you’re only sixteen… It’s not good for a child to endure that stress. I’d like to be there for all the students who feel like it’s too much.”

“That’s admirable.”

“What about you Sen?” she asked, “Surely you don’t want to officiate weddings for the rest of your life, do you?”

“I actually… do,” I laughed off whatever offended feelings that statement might’ve given me, “I mean, as long as people want me to… I’m happy doing it. It’s my passion.”

“Was it always?”

“Yeah!” I nodded, “At first, I mean, it was a joke. I did it because I could… but then… It turned into something beautiful. I don’t think I could stop even if I tried,” I paused for a second, and cleared my throat, “Like let’s say I didn’t want to be a solemniser anymore. I wouldn’t let any of you guys be married by anyone but me, so… I’d still feel compelled.”

“That’s nice. I’m glad you’d like to marry off your friends,” she pushed up her glasses and looked at me softly, “Do you think you’ll get married?”

“Absolutely!” I scoffed, sitting up, “Isn’t that like- everyone’s dream?”

She shook her head, scoffing, “I’m quite fine alone!”

“I mean, but wouldn’t it be nice to find someone that sort of… completes you? It’s like a fairy tale!”

“I suppose… But not everyone is the princess in the story, some people are the villagers, some people are the masons…”

“Everyone is royalty in their own right,” I said, “You’re the queen of counseling! You’re the princess of empathy! You know what I’m saying?”

She snickered, “I guess, I guess… Sen, you’re a delight.”

“You too!” I sat up straighter. It was nice to talk about something other then psychoanalysis, or the treacherous game we were being forced to play.

I left Narumi to read on her own, and headed out toward the dining hall.

“Sen!” Mitsuo came running up to me, “Sen!”

He clapped his hands to my shoulders, and I looked at him happily, “Do you have any news?”

“No, no luck yet,” he sighed, “I found a couple of papers with our names on them… But nothing big. No sign of my talent.”

“Is that all you’ve been doing?” I asked, surprised.

“I mean, I took my breaks for snacks, but yeah, I’ve been searching pretty diligently! I’m on my fourth break, I think.”

“It’s been that long?” I questioned.

“Yeah!” He took folded papers out of his pocket, “Look at this: It’s a report on me taking you to the nurse’s office, I guess.”

I took the paper from his hands, and my dream was confirmed: I fell down the stairs and hit my head. Mitsuo took me to the nurse’s office, and I was released. I took a deep breath in.

“What’s wrong?” He asked me with a slight frown.

“Oh, uh,” I let my breath out, “No, no, nothing. I just, ha, can’t believe I hit my head. I hope I was okay.”

“I’m glad I had your back, even then.”

“Me too,” I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to tell him I remembered me being horribly rude, and somewhat disgusted by him. I didn’t want to tell him that I has a memory of him, but all I could feel was discomfort.

“Sen, I have your back, and you have mine, so,” he paused a moment, and said, “Can I ask you a huge favor?”

“Sure, anything,” I tried to shake off the fact that I used to be a horrible person.

“Can you look for me?” He said, “In my downtime? I have to take my forty-minute break. So can you start scrubbing with me?”

“Oh, uh, sure,” I said, “You just gotta tell me where to start.”

Mitsuo walked me to the front door of the room, and dead stopped, “I don’t wanna accidentally step in.”

“Oh, yeah, no problem,” I walked past him. I didn’t know why walking in the building suddenly made me feel like I was in trouble, “Where do I start?”

“Cabinet three, bottom drawer. I’ve got a pile of potential shit over there,” he pointed, “Thank you so, so, _so_ , much Sen!” He shut the door behind him.

“ _Your forty minutes begins now_ ,” a cool toned robotic voice said, and a large wall clock began to count down.

It felt like years in that room, rifling through papers. The closest thing I found to Mitsuo’s talent was a receipt for 30 plates, paid for by Hope’s Peak Academy, and delivered to him. I wasn’t sure what talent plates could have, but I placed it into his pile.

Once my forty minutes were up, I left, and Mitsuo was standing there, waiting, “How did it go? Did you find anything? Anything about me or my talent?”

“Literally nothing about any of our classmates… Not you or me, or anyone. Just one receipt for some stuff Hope’s Peak bought for you,” I shrugged, “I put it in your pile nonetheless. And I put a little sticky note where I left off.”

“You’re the best,” he hugged me, and pushed inside, “Will you cover me after my forty again?”

“Uh,” I sighed, “Sure.”

And so I did. Again, we cycled, me heading to the dining hall and keeping track of his time, and him, always eagerly awaiting answers.

I found Ginko’s middle brother’s file: The Ultimate Treasurer. He looked a lot like her, but as serious as she claimed. He belonged to Hope’s Peak Academy’s 67th class.

I thought about if he knew his sister was dead. It was a lot harder to look through papers.

Mitsuo went in again, and I went on break. And then it cycled. I could feel myself getting sleepy in the midst of looking at papers. There was nothing on students I knew, just random kids. One girl by the name of Hiyoko Saionji, a cute looking girl who was the Ultimate Traditional Dancer, had a large, red inked stamp across her file that said _DETAINED BY MEMBER OF FUTURE FOUNDATION._

I huffed, unsure what that meant, but maybe this cute girl was a bad egg. I wasn’t sure. I placed it aside.

Until, I found another. Peko Pekoyama, Ultimate Swordswoman, stamped _DETAINED BY MEMBER OF FUTURE FOUNDATION._

I wasn’t sure, maybe the two had something to do with one another. Maybe the scary girl and the cute dancer were in kahoots… Maybe they did something bad to get in trouble with some sort of foundation.

I placed them beside Mitsuo’s hint pile, maybe he could make heads or tails of it.

When my time was up, Mitsuo was waiting outside. He looked at me with hopeful eyes, but I just frowned and shook my head.

“I found files on two girls who had been detained by some foundation. I just wanted you to take a peek, but other than that,” I yawned, “Nothin’.”

“Hey, how about you get some rest,” he rested his hand on my cheek, “I’ll see you in the morning, maybe we can pick up then.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” he stretched, “You can help me bright an early in the morning!”

I laughed humorlessly. He walked past me and closed the door.

I walked back to my cabin alone, and saw Oda, sitting on the picnic table, looking up at the stars.

“You find anything?” Oda asked me.

“About Mitsuo’s talent? Nah,” I sat beside her.

“What about-”

“Nothing on you either.”

“I meant did you find anything on why we’re here,” a smile twinged on her lips, “I don’t give a shit about me in high school. I’ll figure shit out. I just care about why someone hated us so much that they’d do this to us.”

“I think… I don’t know. Does the term _Future Foundation_ ring a bell to you?”

“Not at all,” she stood. She held out her hand to help me up.

“Me either, but two girls were _detained_ by them. I’m just worried that maybe they’re the people that put us here,” I stood with her help.

“Maybe,” she shrugged, “It’s best you keep your eyes peeled.”

“I will,” I nodded.

“Goodnight Sen,” she said, walking to her cabin.

“Goodnight, Oda,” I gave her a little wave. I went into my cabin, tucked myself into bed, and fell asleep, wondering about the girls, and why they would be detained.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma is shown in Gurekuma’s uncomfortably revealing nurse’s outfit. He is checking himself out in the mirror, paying special attention to his bear butt.

“Isn’t dressing up fun? Just playing a little game, pretending to be someone else! Doesn’t it just make you smile? It’s nice to just laugh sometimes!”

 

**Students Remaining: 6**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooOooO what's the future foundation??? Probably something bad, right?  
> So I lied. Next week is a double update, not this week.  
> But next week is, uhm, a doozy!!!


	29. Chapter Five: The Flower of Despair in the Valley of Hope (PART II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! I know you guys might not read notes, so I'm going to put this at the beginning and the end of this chapter! I created a discord! This story is getting to be toward its end, BUT that doesn't mean that I'm going anywhere. I will do drawing req's for characters in this fangan, as well as generate some love for other fangans! I'm in a discord now for another writer and they're super sweet and it really inspired me uwu  
> So here's the link! https://discord.gg/U3cuhBy

The words  _ Future Foundation _ infected my dreams. All I could dream of were documents and paperwork with the title. It was… disturbing.

I woke up at the morning announcement like it was just any other day.

I raced to the dining hall, where Mitsuo laid slumped on the table.

“M-Mits…” I said.

He didn’t move.

My heart immediately began pumping. I ran to his side, practically crashing into him.

“ _ Mitsuo _ !”

He startled awake, “Wh- Sen?”

I looked him in the eye, already feeling myself get misty, and barked, “You scared the  _ shit _ out of me!”

“What time is… Is it morning?”

“Yes!”

“Oh shit,” he stood, “I missed my-”

“Wait, did you never go to bed?” I asked, “Have you just been taking your shifts?”

“I napped in my breaks, I guess this nap was a little more… lengthy,” he stretched, “I need to get back in there and-”

I grabbed his arm, “Oh no you don’t! Get some real rest, take a shower, you need to feel revitalized and ready to take on your talent! Imagine finding out you’re a supermodel when you look like,” I gestured to his entirety, “this.”

“You think I could me a model?” he teased.

“Shut up,” I placed my hands firmly on him, “Right now, you look like a garbageman.”

“A Super High School Level Garbageman?”

“You are  _ such  _ a dork,” I tried to push him out the door.

“Whoa, did I walk in on something?” Shun asked, walking through the door, “Sen, while a back massage is nice, dudes usually prefer a tugger.” He made an indecent hand gesture.

I let go of Mitsuo, and Mitsuo took a few steps forward, “Fine, I’ll shower, but we’ll get back to work when I’m done?”

“A shower and a nap, and then we’ll talk.”

Shun rolled his eyes, “How domestic.”

“Fine, but will you-”

“I’ll do  _ one  _ sweep while you’re gone,” I said.

“Are you guys talking about that file room?” Shun asked.

“Yeah.”

“I was thinking of checking it out,” he cracked his knuckles, “Maybe we can find out what kinda douche did all this.”

“It’s hard work, but be our guest,” I said, “There’s not a not a lot of order.”

“But-” Mitsuo tried to interject.

“And the room doesn’t belong to anyone,” I spoke over him, “Just mind your forty minutes.”

“Hell yeah,” Shun said, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Mitsuo gave me a short goodbye, and I disappeared into the kitchen as well. Shun was eating a protein bar and leaning against the wall. I looked at him and said, “Where’d you get that?”

He pointed at the top shelf.

“Oh,” I looked up, “Can you get me one?”

He reached up for it and asked, “So are you and Mitsuo like- a thing?”

I choked on my surprise, “No-! Uh, I don’t- Why?”

“I dunno,” Shun shrugged, “I was just wondering when it was gonna happen, if ever.”

“Not while we’re at camp?”

“Why not? Life’s short… er.”

“Because I want to survive, and I want him to survive, and I want you, and Narumi, and Oda, and Gon… I want us all to survive more than I want anything else. So everything is secondary,” I crossed my arms, “I don’t have time or energy to think about-”

“I get it, I get it,” Shun rolled his eyes, “I was just wondering, jeez.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just a little-”

“Worried about him?” he scoffed, “You and me both. I think he’s gonna kill himself looking for this shit. Like, yeah I’d be crazy without my talent, but I think that he needs to take it easy.”

“Me too,” I sighed.

“Well, I’ma go check that shit out… I’ll let you know if you find anything cool.”

“Hey,” I said, grabbing his arm gently, “If you find anything about us, there’s a small pile, could you put it in.”

“No problem.”

“And… If you find anything about a group called the  _ Future Foundation _ , like people being detained by them… or anything that seems weird, can you set is aside for me?”

“Oh, lil’ Senny is conducting her own investigations eh?” He crossed his arms, “What’s the  _ Future Foundation _ ?”

“I don’t know… But they arrested two Hope’s Peak students, so maybe they put us here.”

“Hm,” he tugged at the beard at his chin, “Fuck, I hope not. Who were the students?”

“I don’t know them. A swordswoman and a traditional dancer. Maybe they were in class A, or B… Whatever class we weren’t in.”

He nodded, understandingly, “I’ll be sure to look.” He pat my shoulder, “See ya.”

I stood alone in the kitchen, munching the protein bar absently.

Oda came into the kitchen, looking sleepy. I bumped into her, and she looked at me, “Sorry, uh, morning.”

“Good morning Oda! Did you sleep well?”

“Uh, yeah,” she shrugged, “I had a nightmare, so that kept me up a second.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I frowned, “What about?”

She shook her head, “All I know is I hope it’s not true… I’ve been having dreams… vivid dreams… And this one wasn’t any different.”

I couldn’t help but frown. I knew exactly what she meant. I said, “I’m sure those dreams and that nightmare aren’t one in the same.” I knew that they very well could be real, or… felt real.

“Do you want to hang out?” she sighed, “I just need to-”

“How about we sling some arrows,” I suggested, “Doesn’t that help you decompress?”

She nodded, “After I get some breakfast in me.”

Oda, too, grabbed a protein bar, and together we walked to the archery range. Oda strung a bow for me, and one for herself.

We took aim, and I completely missed, while Oda almost made a bullseye. She laughed at me, and told me the best way make sure I hit the target. She was a pretty good teacher, after all.

I hit the outer blue ring of the target. She smiled at me, but her eyes still looked tired.

We took a break after a short while of shooting arrows. She was a lot better than I was, making a few bullseyes, and even more near-bullseyes.

We sat together in the locker room of the archery range, and decompressed.

“Hey Oda, hows your pedicure holding up?”

“My pe- Oh, from like- our second night here?” She looked down at her covered feet, “I mean, I pick at my nail polish, so I guess they could use a retouch.”

“How about green?” I pulled the nail polish out of my bag, “Sparkly green?”

She smirked at me, “That’d look nice on my fingers… How’s that sound?” She held her finger next to the colored part of the bottle.

“I think so too,” I smiled.

“Alright then,” she held her hand out, “How about it, Sen? Can you paint nails?”

I flustered, immediately feeling my face turn pink. Oda scoffed, immediately noticing. She said, “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to.”

“I can!” I said, “It’s just not going to be good.”

“It will be, and it’s it’s so bad, I’ll get Shun to touch it up or something.”

“Can Shun paint nails?”

“I dunno,” she laughed, “He seemed to be yelling at Afu at every turn that she was going it wrong, so… He better be able to.”

And so I carefully painted Oda’s nails, and with her hand in mine, I asked her, “Did you get mani-pedis often?”

“Growing up with two little girls in the house, oh yeah,  _ with sharpie marker. _ ”

“Oh, that can’t be good for you,” I cringed, “Were they two little artists?”

“More like little devils with nobody but their older siblings to bother,” she snorted.

“Did they not like to bug their dad? Did they act like little angels around him or-”

Her face fell immediately. She took her finished hand and blew on her nails.

“Uh, I’m sorry, I know you don’t like him, I just-”

“I don’t just dislike him cause he married my mom,” Oda said. She looked more angry than sad, “Just everything that happened since he walked into our lives… I love my little brother and my baby sisters, but- Fuck.” Her voice cracked.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it.”

“Two days after my mom died,” she said, “He skipped town. He left while the babies were sleeping… He put two crumpled 10,000 yen notes and mom’s car keys on the table and- He was always a piece of shit, but I didn’t know he’d get that bad.”

“Oh I- I didn’t know, I’m so sor-”

“Don’t be,” she rubbed the knuckle of her pointer finger below her eye, “You didn’t do anything to-”

“I married them,” I bit my lip, “I didn’t know that he was-”

“Sen, do you know anything about your clients other than the fact that they seem to love each other?”

“Uh… No. Not really.”

“Then it’s not your fault when two people who don’t belong together get together,” she shrugged, “And hell, I don’t even think anyone  _ else _ you married had a fucked up relationship. You’re still  _ The Undivorced _ .”

“I’m still  _ so  _ sorry Oda,” I put my hand on her knee.

She was crying. I couldn’t believe the sides of her I saw after getting to know her.

“So when I say those little girls were like  _ my  _ little girls… It’s because they were. I raised them from two days old with the help of my siblings. I just-” she sobbed, “I had a dream that they  _ died _ and I can’t get it out of my head.”

“ _ What? _ ”

“They died in some accident and I was at school and-” she took a gulp of air, “And- And- I was only allotted time away to go to their funerals- I-  _ Fuck! _ ” She was in pieces. I opened my arms as an invitation to hold her. And, unlike herself, she fell into my arms almost immediately. 

I pet her head. I didn’t want the dream to be real. I really didn’t want it to. 

“It’s okay Oda,” I cooed, “They’re okay.”

Oda took some time to calm down, but by the time she did, she looked wiped out. I smoothed the hair on her head and said, “Want me to walk you back to your cabin so you can get some good sleep?”

She nodded groggily.

“And the minute you wake up,” I held out the nail polish, “I’ll do one more coat.”

I walked Oda back and made sure she was tucked nice in bed before leaving her. I closed the door behind me, only to see Mitsuo walking toward the filing room.

“Hey,” I trotted down the steps, “What happened to a nap?”

Mitsuo froze as if he’d been caught, and turned on his heels, “I  _ took  _ a nap. And now, back to the ol’ grind.”

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, getting a little angry, “Have you eaten? Showered? Taken care of your body?”

“I will, I will, just one more runthrough.”

“Mitsuo, you’re going to end up passing out in the room, and expending your forty minutes! You’re gonna get yourself killed.”

“I’ll be okay, seriously. How about… I’ll get a snack now, spend my forty, take a shower and have another snack, another forty, and then maybe I’ll be satisfied.”

“You’ll never be satisfied!”

“Thanks Sen,” he hugged me, “You’re the best!”

I sighed to myself as he ran off. I could feel tension in every part of my body.  _ Time by myself actually might be useful _ , I thought. I headed to the spa to soak just for a bit.

But a bit turned into awhile. I could feel my anxieties floating in the water like soup. My muscle tension released itself in those warm waters, and I felt good again. When I finally decided time was up, my hands were pruny. I had no idea how long I’d been in.

I exited the spa after dressing myself, and realized it had been hours. The sun was setting, and my stomach growled angrily at me.

I hiked back to camp to have dinner.

Alone in the dining hall was Narumi, eating soba. She lit up when she saw me, and asked, “Are you hungry? There’s more in the kitchen.”

I smiled softly as a thanks, and headed into the kitchen. Narumi and I ate dinner together, and she theorized on what was on the DVD once more.

“Why are you so curious?” I asked, afraid that she might do what it took to quench her curiosity.

“I don’t know…” She sighed, “I just think it’s… There’s no way it’s nothing. It’s like… The book about us Monokuma offered as motive: that contained clues to our relationships with one another, and how much we actually cared about school. What if this DVD does the same?”

“It probably does,” I said, “but it’s in no way more important than the lives of our fellow classmates.”

“I agree,” she sighed, “It’s just hard to think about what I’m missing from my own memory.”

I nodded.

Dinner felt uncomfortable after that.

I retired to my room to read myself to sleep. I doubted Mitsuo was going to return to take care of himself like he should, but as long as he took his forced breaks, there wasn’t much I could be mad about. I walked up the steps of my porch to see Mitsuo’s cabin light turn off. He was inside, and he was going to bed.

I smiled to myself.

It was easier to sleep knowing he was home.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma walks out of the hospital wearing all black.

“Today, I lost my dear sister Gurekuma.”

Gurekuma pops out the window in the distance, “Stop telling everyone I’m dead!”

He sighs wistfully, “Sometimes, I can still hear her voice.”

**Students Remaining: 6**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! I know you guys might not read notes, so I'm going to put this at the beginning and the end of this chapter! I created a discord! This story is getting to be toward its end, BUT that doesn't mean that I'm going anywhere. I will do drawing req's for characters in this fangan, as well as generate some love for other fangans! I'm in a discord now for another writer and they're super sweet and it really inspired me uwu  
> So here's the link! https://discord.gg/U3cuhBy


	30. Chapter Five: The Flower of Despair in the Valley of Hope (PART III)

I woke up to morning announcement, and walked outside of my cabin at the same time as Mitsuo. He finally looked rested, but… something was off.

“Morning Mitsuo,” I said, “Did you sleep well?”

He shook his head, “I kept waking up… I really wanted to go look for more clues… I guess the feeling of dread never let me sleep properly.”

“Well… How about today you take a load off? I’ll look after I eat breakfast, how’s that sound?”

“I’d like that. Taking shifts is the most efficient way to get through all the paperwork.”

I groaned. That wasn’t what I meant.

But nonetheless, Mitsuo sat still long enough for us to have breakfast. He gave me a hug goodbye while I walked into the room and continued to look through the files. 

Nothing about Mitsuo came to us. I, however, did find a home-referral for Shun’s father. Shun was smoking in the bathroom. I placed it in the pile.

And then, three more students  _ DETAINED BY A MEMBER OF THE FUTURE FOUNDATION:  _ Kazuichi Soda, a mechanic, Ibuki Mioda, a rock musician, and Nagito Komaeda, the lucky lottery student. I sighed. I hoped they were okay.

I sighed, and continued to rifle through. There was a whole lot of nothing: Hope’s Peak beginning to accept reserve students, the headmaster’s daughter attending the academy, an article showing Hope’s Peak in a negative light, blaming them for stress in school. And then something strange caught my eye:  _ Towa City Jurisdiction No Longer Required. _

It was an email print out from a Komaru Naegi to Makoto Naegi.

_ Makoto, _

_ Our time here has actually been well spent. The Monokuma’s have been transported, the kids have been captured, and all survivors have been rounded up, minus Yuta Asahina and Taichi Fujisaki. Toko’s stink bug was found too :) You would not believe how happy she was to find her. Please send FF representatives to relieve us of our duty. _

_ See you soon! _

_ Komaru _

_ P.S. You better give Toko a suit after this! She deserves it! _ _   
_ All I could think was  _ FF representative _ … It had to have been Future Foundation. They were transporting Monokumas and capturing kids? They had to be the ones behind this.

I brought the paper to the dining hall, and found everyone, minus Gon, still eating. Mitsuo hung around, just to be in good company.

“It’s Future Foundation,” I said, holding up the paper, “They have to be the ones that did this to us! Look!”

I read the email.

“They’re transporting Monokumas, kidnapping kids, and rounding up survivors? This is ridiculous! They have to be the ones that took us here,” I said.

“But that doesn’t tell us anything,” Narumi said, “If this  _ Future Foundation _ kidnapped us for this game, that’s horrible, but that gives us no clues on how we can stop them, or get out of here.”

I sighed.

“But if you find any paperwork on any of us being members of the foundation then maybe-” Shun suggested.

“Maybe they’re the mastermind!” Mitsuo said, “It’s my turn anyways. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”

But still, he found nothing. We spend the better half of the day in our forty minute shifts, both coming up with nothing.

Eventually, I stopped my search to have lunch, and do much needed laundry.

I hoisted my basket up on my hip and opened the laundromat door to find Oda inside, doing her laundry as well.

“Hey Sen,” she smiled at me.

“Hey Oda,” I poured my clothes into the washer, “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Thanks.”

We worked in silence a moment, and then she looked at me and said, “You never finished my nails.

“Oh!” I laughed, “How about I finish loading this up, and we go backstage. I’ll do you toes too!”

And so, together, we went backstage. I finished Oda’s green, glimmery fingernails, and finished her toes off with a cool blue. She liked both of them

“Okay, your turn.”

“Oh, for me?” I didn’t know what color looked good on me, so I held out my hand and said, “Surprise me.”

She smirked, and initially picked up a highlighter orange paint, something that would look awful on me, then said, “Nah.” She went with a pale pink.

“How has the paper trail been?”

“Dumb,” I sighed, “Nothing seems to be in there. Just articles, and way old students, and very, very little about the future foundation.”

“This might just be what Monokuma wants, you know?” she said, “Giving you a bunch of bullshit to deal with, just so you get burnt out? Then your guard is down and-”

“I don’t think- Our group is too small. I think that none of us- I’m not going to jinx it.”

“I think that every time too,” she sighed, “but if you keep your expectations low… it’s hard to be let down.”

“I just don’t really like to have any expectations differ from  _ my friends won’t murder each other _ .”

“Hey, I don’t disagree with you,” she shrugged, then began blowing on my hand, “I just think that… We’re in a game where the objective is to survive. And the winning goal is to be the last man standing… So…”

I frowned, “I don’t want to play this game anymore.”

“Anymore?” She raised an eyebrow at me, “Did you ever want to in the first place?”

“No! I just-”

“I’m teasing.”

Oda finished my hands and said she was going to grab lunch. I told her I was going to spend one more break at the papers.

Mitsuo and I traded spaces.

Looking through the papers was annoying. There was such a lack of organization that only Monokuma could have. I rifled through the papers that Mitsuo had set aside. My file was there.  _ Sen Oshiro, Super High School Level Solemniser _ . My picture was  _ old _ . I looked like a baby. I think it had been transferred from my first year of junior high. 

Everything on there was true. It was a real file on me. I put it back.

I looked through another drawer, and came across something interesting. A young girl with pale blonde hair brought into pigtails. She wore a low cut, revealing top, and had crystalline blue eyes. She was very, very pretty. But that wasn’t what stopped me on her image, it was her lack of name or talent. They were both completely backed out. Even when I tried to peek through, I couldn’t read it.

I set her aside. Maybe she was just like Mitsuo: lost, confused, scared.

My forty minutes of time was up and Mitsuo stood outside waiting.

“I didn’t find anything on you, but I did find something on some other girl.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, her talent was all blacked out, just like you. But, so was her name.”

“She couldn’t even remember her name? Shit.”

“Yeah,” I laughed, “it could be worse.”

Mitsuo nodded, and pushed inside.

It was easy to forget about everything when you’re rifling through the papers. We kept taking our turns, both on the lookout for something about Mitsuo, but nothing came up. Eventually, my mission was halted by my stomach growling loudly and angrily.

I exited the room to have dinner.

Mitsuo wasn’t waiting, my forty minutes wasn’t up yet. I walked to the dining hall, hoping to find him there, but he was gone. I watched the clock as I ate. Mitsuo was probably searching by the time my food was prepared.

I ate alone. The dining room felt so big when nobody was around. My time wasn’t quite yet upon me, so I stayed in and read.

And I stopped watching the clock.

Involved in my book, I didn’t immediately notice when Mitsuo came in. It took a few steps before I looked up.

“Oh, is it my turn?”

“No,” he shook his head. His eyes were puffy, like he’d been crying, “It’s almost my turn again.”

“Do you wanna, uh, take a break?”

“No, I wanna,” he just stood there, “I have to look more.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m  _ frustrated _ ,” he sighed, “I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Mitsuo, there’s a good chance that your file might not even be in there. Monokuma might just be playing tricks, you know? Keep looking if you want to, but you can’t torture yourself with this either.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I’m… I’m okay.”

“Promise?”

He wiped his eyes, “Hey… Do you, uh, respect me, even though I don’t have a talent?”

“Of course! I care about  _ you _ , Mitsuo,  _ here and now _ . I’m sorry I can’t remember your talent-”

“It’s okay,” he said, “I just- I’m glad you like me now.”

“Do you… Want a hug?” I wasn’t sure how to offer him comfort. He didn’t look okay, but he held himself as if he were recovering.

“Nah,” he said, “I’m gonna, just, uh, grab one of these,” he grabbed a chair.

“Oh, what for?”

“My knees are starting to hurt from all the pressure sitting on them,” he said, “A chair would be nice to sit in while I look.”

“Good idea,” I said, “Leave it in there for me okay?”

“I’m probably gonna stop after this one,” he said, “You get a good night’s sleep, okay? We can start shifts again in the morning.”

“Good idea,” I stood.

I hugged him, and he tensed slightly, before melting in my arms. His face buried in the crook of my neck, and he said, “Thanks.”

“You can do it Mits,” I rested my hand on his cheek, “I believe in you.”

He looked tired.

After Mitsuo left with the chair, I cleaned up after myself and headed to my room to read for the night. I closed the door to the dining room behind me, to find Gon in a wheelchair, moving through the corridor.

“Gon!” I shouted, and ran toward him.

He turned himself around, and held his arms open. I collapsed, resting my head in his lap.

“I heard you saved me again,” he said looking down at me, “Gurekuma told me everything.”

“You’re alive, Monokuma told us you were dead and-”

“Gurekuma took good care of me.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I said, forcing myself to stand, “How do you feel?”

“Sore,” he laughed, “I technically should still be in bed, but… I got too antsy.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, “I’m taking those same pills that Noboru took. I don’t know how he stayed up with them… I’m drowsy as hell.”

“Do you need help getting up to your room?”

“Nope,” Gon pointed at his cabin, “Gurekuma installed a ramp and everything. It’s all pretty accessible now,” he yawned and stretched, “I’m gonna hit the hay, but uh… Breakfast? Everyone? I miss you guys.”

“Of course.”

“Goodnight Sen.” 

“Night.”

He pat my arm and took himself away.

I tucked myself into bed that night, and fell asleep before the nighttime announcement could annoy me.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

_ *static* _

_ “Fuck!” _

_ “No! No! No!” _

__

**Students Remaining: 6**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOUBLE UPDATE!  
> Please be sure to join my discord! We can be friends! https://discord.gg/U3cuhBy


	31. Chapter Five: The Flower of Despair in the Valley of Hope (PART IV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER AND TRIGGER WARNING  
> Just a little trigger warning, there is mention of suicide and a hanging in this chapter. I'm sorry this is kinda a spoiler, but better safe than sorry!

I wasn’t woken up by the morning announcement. I slept through it.

I wasn’t woken up by the knocking of my friends, beckoning me to join them for breakfast.

No.

I was awakened by the worst noise possible.

“Attention everyone! A body has been discovered! Please head to the Records Office!”

I sat up, startled.

I was dreaming. Something had to feel wafty about my room. Something had to be off.

But nothing was.

So I ran. Barefoot, and clad in underwear and my tank top, I ran to the records office. Everyone, even Gon, was crowded around the door. Oda heard my footsteps and turned around, walking toward me with open arms.

“Sen, don’t-”

I pushed past her, I pushed past everyone at the narrow door of the office.

It was Mitsuo, hanging by the neck, a note taped to his chest.

Numbness overcame me; it had to be a dream.

I couldn’t even hear my own screaming.

I couldn’t feel Shun holding me as my body collapsed to the ground.

Everything was numb. 

And then it was black.

 

I woke up to Narumi patting my hand, and Oda shouting, “Sen? Sen!”

I was in the doorway to the records office. I had fainted.

My head lifted to see him, again, lifeless and hanging by a noose. I didn’t know what to do. I was undone.

Oda pulled me into her arms, and there I cried.

Monokuma approached with popcorn, “Y'all ready for movie night?”

I could hardly hear him over the sounds of my hiccups for air.

“Go away-”

“We’re watching the motive now, aren’t we?”

“Does it really count as a murder if-” Shun began, but Narumi interrupted, “Where are we going to watch it?”

“I rolled a TV into the dining hall. There are still enough chairs, despite one being  _ used _ , puhuhu.”

“Sen, c-” Oda began, but was interrupted by me pulling my face into her chest, “Hey, it’s okay. C’mon, look at me.”

I couldn’t. I was beside myself.

I felt her thumb graze my cheek, and she pulled me to look into her amber colored eyes.

“This is going to hurt a lot,” she said into my eyes, “but you need to be strong-”

“ _ He promised _ ,” I wailed.

“And he broke it, you’re allowed to be mad but-” she bit her lip, “You still have to hold your promise or you’re no better than him.”

I only cried. They got me to my feet, but there was no calming me.

We congregated in the dining room, and all I could do was stare at the place where the chair that he took once was. I wanted to throw up.

“Alright, your motive, this disc here,” Monokuma took it out of the case, “It’s got some juicy secrets in it!”

I swallowed; Oda held my hand.

The screen of the old, fat TV loaded, and then, on the screen, there I was… In an official Hope’s Peak graduation cap and gown. My hair was curled in the same style that Shun had given me just a few days prior. I looked nervous.

I cleared my throat, and began.

“Good morning everyone. My name is Sen Oshiro, the Super High School Level Solemniser, and class-A representative for the seventy-second class of Hope’s Peak Academy.”

The was a shout from the crowd. I smiled.

“These past three years at Hope’s Peak Academy have changed my life. I’ve never met such amazing students and faculty in such an amazing place. I knew that going to Hope’s Peak would change my life monumentally, from offering me new career paths, to giving me more fame than I actually deserve,” I laughed, “But what I didn't expect is to fall in love with so many people, and to have formed a second family. My classmates and my wonderful teacher Miss Gakusha became my comfort. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me at Hope’s Peak. I thought, perhaps, it was going to be like ordinary high school, but the reality of it was… It’s not a normal high school at all. It’s not extraordinary in the sense that it is prestigious. It’s extraordinary in the sense that everyone working here is here for you, and you, and you,” I pointed amongst the crowd, “We were gathered together to be the hope for tomorrow. So now… We’re going to be here for you all. We’re going to be the people that hold your head up when you can’t. We’re going to be the people that love and support you when you feel alone. We’re going to be the ones that lead today into tomorrow, because that’s just what we do.” There was a cheer. I felt uncomfortable sitting and watching myself. On screen, I wiped my eye, “And while I’m up here, I just want to say… Thank you, class-A. You gave me hope and love, and I hope that I gave enough in return. Thank you.”

There was cheering. Then the TV went static.

Everyone looked at me.

I burst into tears.

“We’re fucking graduated?” Shun stood up, “How fucking old am I?”

“We have to be fresh graduates!” Gon said, “There’s no way that-”

“We need to look into the records office, we-”

“And here’s this!” Monokuma handed Narumi the Monokuma file.

“Wha- What’s this for?” she sneered.

“It’s the Monokuma file! You’d think you’d know that by now,” Monokuma said.

“But- It was a suicide,” Narumi said.

“Prove it,” Monokuma said, “Isn’t killing yourself still killing someone?”

“I guess, but-”

“You guess, so, investigate!” Monokuma shrugged, and walked away.

I took the Monokuma file from Narumi and opened it up.

A picture of Mitsuo sat there.

I read, in my croaky voice, “ _ The victim is Mitsuo Ito, whose Super High School Level Unknown. The victim’s body was found at the Records Office. The estimated time of death is 10:15 PM. The victim died due to the compression of carotid artery, starving his brain of oxygen-rich blood, caused by hanging. No pre-mortem injuries or substances, such as poisons, have been detected.” _

“So he hanged himself,” Oda said, “At least this trial won’t be-”

“He didn’t!” I barked, “Mitsuo wouldn’t- there’s no way- I have to go investigate.”

“Sen, that’s really not healthy,” Narumi followed me. Everyone ended up tailing me, actually, hoping I wouldn’t do anything dumb.

I entered the office, and the timer still blipped on.

“Wait!” I stopped Narumi from entering behind me, “The rules are still in play!”

Narumi stopped dead in her tracks, Oda pulled her back ensuring she didn’t fall.

I swallowed, “So I get forty minutes to figure this out.” I slammed the door, and locked it behind me.

Mitsuo’s body hanged there, still and unmoving. His face was paler than the rest of his body, and his eyes were relaxed closed. I reached up to touch his hand. It was cold.

The noose was fashioned out of rope from the equipment room. He was wearing his usual clothes. He use the file cabinet to fasten the rope to the light fixture, and he used the chair to reach the rope to ultimately… kill himself. It had suicide written all over it. I stood beside his body and cried into his legs.

I looked up. There was a note, in his handwriting, taped to his chest with tape that was obviously peeled off another report. I pulled it off his body and read it.

_ I don’t know what to say, other than I’m sorry. This was the best option after remembering… Almost everything. I promise that it is for the best. All I ask of you is to remember me for who I was at camp. You do not need to look for my talent any longer. I would rather be Mitsuo Ito, the talentless, who was loved, than Mitsuo Ito, the freak at Hope’s Peak Academy, who was hated. _

I held the note, clutching it in my hands like it was the only thing that I had left of Mitsuo and I openly wept.

I didn’t reach the end of my forty minutes before I opened the door. I was too weak to be alone. When I opened it, Gon was waiting there for me, and he opened his arms for me to cry into them.

He pet my head and said, “I know it’s hard… I know…”

Gon knew how it felt more than anyone else did.

I showed everyone else the letter, and said, “He killed himself because his memory was refreshed.” So the **suicide note** became evidence supporting the worst.

“So what? Do we enter trial?” Oda said.

“No,” I stopped, “I know it’s… against his wishes, but I need to know  _ why  _ he did this. If his talent is connected to why, then I need to know his talent.”

“I agree,” Gon said, “Maybe his talent has something to do with how we got here.”

“Or it’s a trigger for our memories,” Oda said, “It’s something that might make us remember all of high school… that we apparently missed.”

“I’ll bring out all the papers,” I said, seeing my clock still had time on it, “Maybe we can review them in the dining hall.”

Narumi removed her coat, and handed it to me, “Tie this around your waist. We’ve got an investigation to conduct.”

“ _ Hell yeah _ ,” Shun looked to our friend who- Who we all wished we helped and said, “Should someone… Get him down?”

I didn’t want to be the one to do it. I didn’t want to see him fall to the floor, lifeless. I grabbed the papers, and walked in my barefeet to the dining hall. Shun nodded at me, and headed inside the records room to help Mitsuo down.

The four of us, Gon, Narumi, Oda, and I, laid out papers that Mitsuo and I pulled out as evidence for his talent.

There were papers on us, oh him, on our deceased classmates, but none of them really pointed to a talent.

“We need to look at these all as pieces to a puzzle,” Oda said, “None of them are going to outright state it, but… More than likely, they are all hints.

So I picked up one of the first papers I found: the  **receipt for plates.**

“There’s this,” I said, “Mitsuo was ordered plates from Hope’s Peak.”

“So culinary,” Narumi said.

“What about this,” Gon picked up a paper, “It’s some sort of  **nurse’s form** . Mitsuo took Sen to the nurse’s office for hitting her head.”

“So you guys were still friends, before all this,” Narumi smiled.

I remembered **my dream** .

Shun walked in with another stack of papers in his hands, his fingers curling under them, supporting their weight with seemingly all his might.

“This was from the last file cabinet,” he grunted as he set it down, “Maybe we can find something from here.”

“Sen, Gon, you two take the pile of already discovered stuff,” Oda said, “Narumi, Shun and I can handle this stuff.”

So Gon and I worked in silence.

We separated our papers into two piles: Mitsuo, and not Mitsuo. We went through the papers.

I found a report written by our appearance teacher of  **Mitsuo’s talent day** . It just said  _ Very entertaining. _

Gon passed me a paper that said  _ Ask Ms. Gakusha about charivari- Mr. Nagiko would posible teach it. Also ask if Mr. Nagiko has longer dowels _ in Mitsuo’s handwriting.

“I don’t know what it means, but… Mitsuo wrote it, and he’s talking about talking to the Hope’s Peak teachers so…”

“No,” I said, “It’s helpful, I’m going to set it aside.” **Mitsuo’s note** **to himself** might point us somewhere.

“Guys,” Oda said, “I found a printout of an email from Miss Gakusha to Mitsuo.”

“What’s it say?” I asked.

“Mr. Ito, I understand that there have been issues as of late, and I would like to know if you’re alright. Your change in mood and attitude is affecting your school work, as well as how well you prosper as far as your talent goes. Remember to smile. Your talent is laughter. -K. Gakusha.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Shun said.

“Maybe he talent has to do with smiling?” Narumi frowned, “Like if he’s sad, then other people will be affected by his change in mood?”

“I think anything helps at this point,” I said.  **The email** might some up later.

“I found his notes,” Narumi said, “It discusses the pros and cons of… I don’t know these words.”

Gon took the paper, “Pierrot, Auguste, of Character.”

“What are the pros and cons?”

“Pierrot is classic, but scary. Auguste is colorful, but annoying. Character is funny, but frowned upon in the community…?” Gon read.

“What does that even mean?” I hated that everything that came up, everything that we discovered, only made us more confused.  **The pros and cons list** included.

“What about this?” Shun asked, “It’s a **hospital report** .”

“What’s it say?”

“Mitsuo broke his foot,” his eyes scanned the paper, “He dropped… a bowling ball on his foot.”

“Maybe he’s a bowler!” Narumi said.

“I don’t think a talented bowler would drop the ball like that.”

“Oh! I found a  **performance review** ,” Narumi said, “I can't read who signed it, but it’s an official Hope’s Peak document.”

“What’s his grade?”

“B,” Narumi said, “It says  _ Good movement and action. Clearly memorized; might do better more improvised. Work on voice projection, or get rid of voice entirely. Remember, Mr. Ito, your movements are supposed to be what shines here. More funny movement creates likability. _ ”

“What a douche,” Shun said.

“I still don’t know what any of this means,” I said, “Was he a stage actor?”

“I don’t think we have enough evidence to discuss what he was yet,” Gon said, “I think we need to keep looking.”

But there wasn’t much to look at. Mitsuo must have found something.

“Guys,” Shun interrupted all of us by looking at a paper, “I… found something.”

“What is it?”

He held up a  **newspaper article** . The title read:  _ Academy Under Fire for Covering Up Student Suicide. _

“What?” I stood. I grabbed the paper. My eyes scanned the article, but I couldn’t get past the beginning:  _ Hope’s Peak Academy, prestigious for it’s students with extraordinary talents is now under deep scrutiny for its handling of a student’s suicide. Student Mitsuo Ito was struck from record books immediately following his attempt, and a false file of his expulsion was created weeks before he was discovered. _

“I don’t- I- Is Mitsuo dead?” I put the paper down, and allowed everyone else to read it.

“What the  _ fuck _ ?” Oda looked at Shun and I, who didn’t know what to say.

“So… Mitsuo’s already dead,” Gon said, “Does that mean-”

“That’s not Mitsuo,” Oda said, “Whoever is hanging up in the records office… He’s someone completely different.”

“That’s not true!” I said, “He’s in my dreams! His face, his smile,  _ him _ ! That’s Mitsuo!”

“Then what does this mean!”

“I- I don’t know.”

I didn’t know what to do. The man that I met in camp, the one that I liked, and wanted to get out alive with… He had to be Mitsuo.

“Hey, what about the two items that Mitsuo was given for his motive?” Narumi asked.

“Oh, the  **Get Well Soon card** and the  **class photo** ?” I asked.

“Are there any hints on those?”

I fished for them. Mitsuo left them in the pile, just in case they were evidence. The get well soon card was signed by our teacher, and nobody else. The class photo had Mitsuo’s face burned out of it. There wasn’t much to go on there. I shook my head.

“Hey… Guys,” Oda held up a paper. It was clearly Mitsuo’s face pasted in the corner, “I found his file. The corner is dog-eared over… his talent.”

We all crowded around as Oda unfolded the corner. Written in scratchy handwriting above Mitsuo’s real, blacked out talent was  _ Super High School Level Loser. _

“Why did everyone fucking hate this guy?” Shun asked.

“Boy, you guys made a mess in here,” Monokuma walked into the dining hall, “Who’s ready for a fun, good ol’ fashioned trial?”

“Wait,” I said, “Monokuma, what happens when we vote for Mitsuo?”   
“God, so impatient, don’t get ahead of yourself!” Monokuma said, “Come on then, get to the chapel!”

So we stood, our group of mismatched friends, and headed to the chapel.

It was weird not having Ami or Mitsuo there to hold my hand. I felt lost. I crossed my arms over my cold chest and held myself. Shun pushed Gon’s wheelchair. Narumi shivered without the presence of her coat. Oda walked beside me, and I could see glimpses of her eyes as I looked out of the corner of mine.

There were only five of us left.

We were once sixteen.

I didn’t know how we came to that number. The senseless dying and murder.

And now, two suicides.

I held myself tighter. A tear dropped off the tip of my nose. My glasses were fogging up. The sky was going dark and grey. Rain was coming.

We loaded into the elevator like sheeps to the slaughter. My body instinctively fell back to the corner, bracing myself as everyone else walked in. I wanted Mitsuo’s hand. I wanted someone to hold me.

“Are you alright?” Oda asked.

“No.”

She gave me a one-armed squeeze. I sighed shakily.

Shun pressed the  _ Trial Floor  _ button to make the elevator descend.

Nothing hurt worse than entering that horrible velvet room, seeing Monokuma and Gurekuma in their correct positions, and seeing Mitsuo’s face with a large X over it. It stung in my eyes, in my soul, in my heart.

We all knew Mitsuo killed himself. We all knew that the trial was just to be done quickly so that we could get back to our own investigations, but I couldn’t let it be. Mitsuo deserved the world.

I took my stand, and felt my chest heave. My eyes could not break contact from Mitsuo’s portrait.

Every breath I took was a breath he was closer to death, and I didn’t even know. I held onto our promise so tightly that I never thought he could do something so selfish to me.

I felt like an idiot for even thinking about Mitsuo in a negative way.

I was angry.

Being angry was better than being sad because I had motivation. I had motivation to find the cause behind Mitsuo’s suicide. I had motivation to end this fucking killing game.

It was time for me to be angry.

It was time for another deadly class trial.

**Students Remaining: 5**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about that lmao  
> Please join my discord so you can yell at me lol: https://discord.gg/U3cuhBy


	32. Chapter Five: The Flower of Despair in the Valley of Hope (CLASS TRIAL)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> There are descriptions of a hanging and an attempted suicide. No spoilers, just better safe than sorry my loves!

“Welcome back!” Monokuma said from his throne, “Do you kids need a rundown?”

“No,” Oda said, “Just start the vote so we can get out of here.”

“God, spoilsport,” Monokuma crossed his arms, “Isn’t this no fun Gurekuma?”

“It’s  _ never _ fun!” Gurekuma cried.

“Just pull up the voting menu!” Shun yelled, “We already know he killed himself.”

“No!” I barked, “We’re not voting yet!”

“Yes we are,” Oda looked at me, “Sen, everything points to suicide. He had a literal note taped to him.”

“But-”

“Not to mention the one-person in the room rule,” Gon said, “Nobody could’ve done that to him.”

“Mitsuo-”

“Mitsuo also seemed to have a history of depression,” Narumi said, “If he-”

“I  _ know _ Mitsuo killed himself!” I barked, “I know! I know he did it! But I’m not voting until we figure out  _ why _ !”

“What?”

I put my arms over the screen, “I said… I’m not going to vote until we figure out why Mitsuo would do something like that. Nobody… Nobody can make me vote. Nobody can vote for me. I’m not fucking moving until… Until we find out what happened.”

“Sen, if you don’t vote, you’ll-”

“Die,” I looked at everyone, whose faces were completely horrified, “I know.”

“Sen that’s fucking ridiculous!” Oda barked at me, “So you want the trial to be focused on Mitsuo’s talent instead?”

“Exactly,” I locked my arms in place, “So Monokuma, don’t start the vote yet.”

“Yes ma’am!” Monokuma settled into his chair, “This’ll be fun, won’t it?”

“No!” Gurekuma shook her head furiously, “It’ll never be fun!”

“Sen… We can continue our search after we vote,” Narumi said.

“Yeah,” Shun said, “You don’t gotta go off the walls like this.”

“But will we ever find out? There’s nothing at risk! It’ll just be another mystery that we don’t solve. Just like the book of our pictures. Or the fact that we  _ just _ found out we’re high school graduates! This is the only way that I’ll get my answer, and if it’s putting my life on the line,” I held my breath a moment, and then released it, “I’m okay with it.”

Oda looked at me with fury in her eyes. It reminded me of the first day at camp, when she stared me down from her cabin. He eyes flashed down and said, “This is stupid.”

“Where do we even start?”

“Well,” Narumi said, “We… We can start with… I- I don’t know”

“Sen, do you not realize how dumb you are? Two people don’t have to die every trial! What is wrong with you?” Shun said.

“What kind of talents need plates?” Gon chimed in, “The school received a  **receipt for plates** in Mitsuo’s talent’s name.”

“Plates! I said something to do with culinary, wasn’t he good at cooking?” Narumi said, “Maybe he was a plater, or a cook!”

“Is being a plater a talent?” Gon asked.

“Well, being a solemniser is, so anything can be, right?” Shun looked at me.

“He wasn’t an excellent cook. He’s made us food before, and it was good, but it wasn’t  _ ultimate _ . And he never cared about how it looked on the plate.”

“Yeah, the day after Joben’s trial he gave me a broken yolk,” Oda said, “He just shrugged and said it all ends up the same inside.”

“That’s not something a Super High School Level Plater would do…” Narumi held her chin, “And though his breakfast was nice, it was nothing special.”

The lump in my throat reminded me how easy it would be for me to start sobbing again. I said, “But plates can be used for other things, not just eating,” I said.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know!” I said, “I’m just saying. Maybe he’s a… Maybe he’s a plate… artist. Or… He breaks plates.”

“Breaks plates?” Shun raised an eyebrow at me.

“A creative breaker!” Narumi looked around at all of us, “Don’t those exist?”

“Yes, but… Why just plates? Don’t those people break all sorts of shit?” Oda said, “I think we’re getting too hung up on the plates. Mitsuo left a myriad of hints.”

“Like what?”

“ **The note to himself** ,” Oda said, “A reminder to ask our teacher about some sort of thing… Charivari, was it?”

“But we don’t know what charivari is,” Gon said, “I don’t know half of the things Mitsuo told himself to remember.”

“I know what charivari is,” I peeped.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Gon said.

“I just don’t know… what it has to do with a talent? Charivari is a mock wedding song… You sing it really loud to mock a wedding or a person,” Sen bit her lip, “But I have no idea why he’d want to sing a song like that-”   
“Maybe he had the hots for you in the past,” Shun said, “Maybe he wanted to impress you, seeing as he knew something about weddings.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense as to why he’d ask a teacher about it,” Narumi pushed up her glasses, “Do you ask a teacher for advice on picking up girls?”

“I mean,” Gon shrugged, “But it seemed like you guys already had a relationship, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“The  **nurse’s form** ,” Gon explained, “He took you to the nurse’s office. He was probably with you when you fell. He was able to take you to the nurse’s office. So that explains the charivari, right?”

“No,” I bit my lip, “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” Gon asked, “I would think you guys were hanging out if he took you-”

“I had  **a dream** … I know that’s not concrete… But, in my dream, before we even found out that he took me to the nurse’s office-”

“When did you have the dream then?” Narumi asked.

“When… When I was with Gurekuma,” I said, “When she and Oda stitched me up.”

“You  _ did _ wake up saying the boys name!” Gurekuma said, “I just didn’t want to say anything incase you were having a dirty dream!”

“That’s right,” Oda whispered, “But what was your dream?”

“I woke up in the nurse’s office… And Mitsuo was there. I took one look at him, and felt… Repelled.”

“By Mitsuo?” Shun asked, “If anything, you two were like magnets! Like Haruka and Gon level shit.”

I looked at Gon, who averted his eyes.

“But that’s how I felt. Like, in my dream I  _ didn’t _ like Mitsuo. Like his presence… Embarrassed me.”

“ _ What? _ ”

“I… I woke up with him by my side, and didn’t want him there. He walked me back to class, and… I didn’t want to talk to him. I just wanted to get to class. And on our walk back, he revealed that I skipped his talent day… Just to hang out in the library.”

“So you guys weren’t friends at all?”

“I don’t think anyone was his friend,” I swallowed, “When we get back into class, everyone greeted me, and he like- slipped in the back to be by himself.”

“Nobody liking him,” Narumi took a deep breath, “makes a lot of sense.”

“What do you mean?” Gon asked.

“Think about it…  **The Get-Well Soon Card** ,  **the email** , I mean,  _ Super High School Level Loser _ ? Someone vandalized his file, because he wasn’t well liked.”

“That’s true,” Oda said, “Him being disliked and him being isolated wouldn’t help him being depressed. It’d only worsen it. There’s nobody there for him to about stuff to… He doesn’t feel liked… And that would lead to him-”

“Killing himself,” I whispered, “Which would explain  **the newspaper article** . But… That said Mitsuo was dead.”

“But did it?” Gon asked, “All it talked about was the cover-up on Hope’s Peak’s part. Monokuma, may I see the article?”

“Gure, go!” Monokuma stood on his feet and pointed out. Gurekuma ran over with the clipping, and handed it to Gon.

“Here you are Mr. Uramoto,” Gurekuma handed him the paper, Gon scanned it. He read the part I had read aloud, “ _ Hope’s Peak Academy, prestigious for it’s students with extraordinary talents is now under deep scrutiny for its handling of a student’s suicide. Student Mitsuo Ito was struck from record books immediately following his attempt, and a false file of his expulsion was created weeks before he was discovered. _ ”

“It says student’s suicide,” Shun said.

“But it also says attempt,” Narumi said, “I think that it makes sense that he survived considering he’s here.”

“And the card from our teacher,” I said.

“But that could be from him dropping the bowling ball on his foot,” Oda pointed out, “Remember the  **hospital record** ?”

“Shit,” I cursed, “But-”

“I think Mitsuo survived until now too,” Oda said, “We just need to be mindful of everything. Like, why did he have a bowling ball? Why did he break his foot with it?”

“Maybe it’s like the plates,” Gon said, “He could’ve used it for something else?”

“I don’t think anything is used to its intended meaning, like Sen said,” Narumi said, “I think that… Maybe all of these items are connected.”

“In **Mitsuo’s note to himself** , he said something about the wedding song, and dowels. In his  **hospital record** , he used a bowling ball to break his foot. And in the  **receipt** , he got plates… but…”

“So… He has random shit? I don’t know what that means,” Shun crossed his arms, “This feels so pointless.”

“What about… what others had to say  _ to  _ Mitsuo?” Narumi said, “Like  **the performance review** … It called for humor, improvisation, and likability.”

“That’s why I think he was a stage performer,” Oda combed her hand through her red hair, “but there are so many different types of stage performers.”

“ **The email** also discussed humor. Our teacher said Mitsuo’s talent was… laughter,” Gon said, “And combining that with improv… I think it would make sense that he was a comedian.”

“But what about the plates and shit?” Shun asked.

“A prop comedian?” Gon shrugged.

“What about his  **pros and cons list** ?” I asked, “I had no idea what he was talking about… But… Maybe we can piece it together?”

“His pros and cons list… That was… He was talking about those three things?” Gon asked.

“Pierrot, Auguste, and Character,” Narumi recalled, “Pierrot is classic, but scary. Auguste is colorful, but annoying. Character is funny, but frowned upon in the community.”

“What can be classic, or colorful, or funny?” Oda asked.

“Hair?” Shun asked.

“You think everything is about hair,” Oda rolled her eyes, “I think… They’re different ways to do things, maybe acting methods.”

“How can an acting method be colorful?” Gon asked.

“Flamboyant?”

“I think he means literally colorful,” my hand went to my chin, “I think these are different types of dress… Or… something.”

“Dress?” Shun said, “Was Mitsuo a crossdresser?”

“No… Maybe not dress,” I could feel the gears turn in my head. I remembered  **my dream** . Mitsuo sat beside my bed, and my first words to him were…  _ You washed your face _ .

“It’s makeup…” I said, “It’s makeup! They’re different types of makeup!”

“What?” Shun asked, “So Mitsuo  _ was  _ a crossdresser?”

“No…” I paused.

Plates and dowels. Bowling balls being thrown and caught, and evidently dropped on feet. Makeup, being described classic, colorful, and funny. My disgust with him.

“Mitsuo…” I let go of my podium, “Mitsuo Ito was the Super High School Level  _ Clown _ .”

And then… the world went white.

 

_ I saw Mitsuo carrying a heavy looking bag. He was huffing and sweating under his white face paint. Streaks ran down his cheeks. _

Sen, you idiot, he was crying.

_ He looked up and saw me. We made eye contact. _

_ I had to help him at that point. It would be outright rude not to. _

_ “Hey, uh, what’re you doing?” I asked, approaching him. _

_ “Oh,” he laughed, “Carrying some stuff back to my dorm.” _

_ “That looks like… all your stuff?” _

He cleaned out his fucking locker. Why didn’t you notice the signs?

_ “Hah, yeah, I mean… It’s best if it’s all home with me. I don’t want to inconvenience Gakusha by leaving everything in her classroom or my locker, you know?” He laughed, but his eyes looked red. Did they always look red? Was it his paint? Had I just never gotten that close to him? _

_ “Do you… need help? It’s not yet curfew, so I can go in the boys side of the dormitories.” _

_ He shook his head, “Nah, I should carry this weight on my own… I don’t want to make it hard on anyone, you know?” _

_ “You won’t, I promise,” I assured him. I wasn’t sure what to do. I put my hand on his shoulder, “How about I take something out of there.” _

_ “No, really,” he pulled his bag in closer to himself, “Plus, you don’t want to be seen heading back to my dorm with me. You won’t hear the end of it from-” _

_ “Cho’s just teasing,” I furrowed my brow. _

_ He scoffed, “Yeah, but your boyfriend will freak.” _

_ I crossed my arms, “You think that Joben makes my choices for me?” _

Joben… My boyfriend…?

_ “I guess not… But… I’m talking about the ridicule from being around Hope’s Peak’s Super High School Level Loser.” _

_ “Mitsuo…” I whispered. _

_ “Really, Sen,” he focused on the ground, “I don’t need any help.” _

You idiot… You fucking idiot.

_ “Okay… Uh, see you tomorrow?” _

_ “Nah,” he swallowed, “I’m not planning on coming to class tomorrow.” _

_ “Oh, well… Have fun on your day off then.” _

_ He nodded to the ground. Sweat rolled off his face. The amount he was sweating dripped bits of white and pink onto the ground. I couldn’t help but scowl to myself. I started to walk away. _

_ “Hey Sen,” he turned around, as did I, his face paint was streaky and his hair fell in his eyes. _

_ “Yeah?” _

_ “You’re a really lovely girl.” _

_ I chuckled under my breath, “That, Mitsuo, has got to be the funniest thing you’ve said. See you later, okay?” _

_ He didn’t respond. He just walked back to the dorms. _

_ Mitsuo was found by his dorm neighbor, Shun Nishimura, seizing on his bedroom floor. He had attempted suicide by overdosing on his medication. He survived the overdose, and spent time in the hospital following. When Hope’s Peak was asked about his suicide, they falsified a document, saying Mitsuo Ito was expelled two weeks before the attempt for misconduct toward a student. _

_ One of the biggest scandals in the history of Hope’s Peak arose from that. _

_ We, the students of class-A, didn’t know how to mourn the loss of Mitsuo. He wasn’t dead, but he was dead to us. We’d never see him again. He wouldn’t be allowed back of school property. We weren’t really even allowed to talk about him without putting Ms. Gakusha’s career on the line. _

_ But there was an empty desk. The silence that was usually created by the loner was instead created in his absence. We all had guilt on our sleeves, we just didn’t know how to wipe it away. _

You don’t just wipe that guilt away. You live with it, because you deserved it Sen, you fucking deserved it.

_ “I just got off the phone with our, erm, previous student’s mother. He’s doing just fine. He will be submitted back into the care of his parents by the psychiatric ward in a few days.” _

_ “And what about his status as a Hope’s Peak student?” Narumi asked. _

_ “Yeah! They gonna undo that bullshit, or what?” Zuzu actually took one of his earbuds out, for once. _

_ “I don’t believe he will be readmitted into our school system. His family is filing a lawsuit, however,” the teacher said, “He… Won’t be attending Hope’s Peak ever again.” _

_ “That’s bullshit!” Ami stood, “I get it, they don’t want a suicide on their hands or whatever… But the school let Mitsuo down, not the other way around.” _

_ “Well, what I think would be especially nice would be a support system for Mitsuo, when he is able to return home. We should let him know that… Despite everything, we’re still here and rooting for him in all future endeavors,” Ms. Gakusha explained, “And, although he’s not part of our classroom… He’s still part of our family.” _

_ “Let’s get him a card!” Hibiki said, “Like, we all sign it, and let him know that he was important to us!” _

Important… We’re all backpedaling.

_ “And flowers,” Cho chimed in, “Everyone loves flowers.” _

_ “The guy loved balloons too,” Shun said, “I mean, he was a clown! He’s gotta!” _

_ And so we split the responsibilities. Hibiki was to pick up a card. Joben and I were to get glittery pens. Everyone else was going to split the cost of a dozen balloons, and a bright daisy bouquet. But the weekend ended, and we all did other things. When we arrived back to school, we all had excuses up our sleeves. _

_ I was practicing for the next evaluation. _

_ I was busy taking care of my family. _

_ I had an event to attend. _

_ I forgot. _

_ Miss Gakusha ended up picking up a card herself. She signed it alone, and dropped it off at Mitsuo’s room. She told him that he was on all of our minds. We knew she was lying.  _

Couldn’t even pick up a Goddamn pen to sign it.

_ Mitsuo was later enrolled into a regular high school for regular kids. No more daily face paint. No more exhibitions for the class. No more torture. There… He thrived, or at least I hoped he did. His family dropped the lawsuit. Hopefully they were given hush money… Or something non-threatening. Mitsuo was able to have a good final year and a half of high school… I didn’t know that for sure, but I felt happy when I told myself it. _

_ When I graduated, we removed his seat from the crowd. When I spoke to my class, he didn’t even cross my mind. _

_ I was horrible. _

And I will never forgive myself.

 

I came to, clutching the podium. Everyone around me looked as fucked up as I was.

“Did… you guys just…?” Gon asked.

“Everything,” Shun said, “Until… Graduation.”

“It’s just black after graduation,” Narumi looked down, “But… Mitsuo… He must have-”

“Mitsuo remembered that we were all horrible people,” I barked, “Mitsuo remembered that he didn’t mean  _ shit  _ to us!” I slammed my hand on the table, “That we let him die without so much as a thought!”

“That doesn’t give him the right-” Shun began, but I looked at him, my eyes teary and under a heavily furrowed, angry brow.

“Who gave  _ us _ the right to ignore that our  _ classmate _ tried to fucking kill himself? How dare we just go on with it all! How fucking dare we! And Mitsuo, already fucking bogged down by the fact that he feels useless, talentless in this camp of talented fucking assholes, remembers that nobody  _ actually loved  _ him in the past, and he decided that there was no more hope for him,” I combed my bangs off my forehead, “Oh my god, oh my  _ fucking _ god… We killed him.”

“ _ What _ ?” Gon looked at me as if I were crazy.

“ _ We  _ killed him,” Sen said, “We fucking- Don’t you see? We’re the murderers here! It’s  _ our  _ fault!”

“Sen-” Narumi held her arms out.

“We- We have to vote for ourselves,” I said, certain, “It’s the only way.”

“That’ll kill us all!” Gon nearly stood out of his wheelchair.

The guilt began to make me physically ill.

I looked at Oda, who was quiet this whole time.

“Right, Oda, you agree with me?”

She didn’t respond. She just looked down at her podium, a thick wave of despair swirling around her.

I could feel it too. The world seemed to spin in a static of despair. I could feel the heavy grey drown me as I argued.

“But who did the actual killing?” Shun asked, “Who pulled the trigger, so to speak?”

“But who caused it?” I yelled, “Who made him do it? It was all of us! It was every single fucking one of us! We made him- We- If it weren’t for us-”

“Sen, you can’t place blame so heavily on yourself,” Narumi said, trying to calm me, “Ultimately, a person’s decision to kill themselves is their own. And I promise you that Mitsuo-”

“I let Mitsuo down!” I yelled, “Mitsuo  _ trusted  _ me! Fuck, Mitsuo probably  _ loved  _ me!” My throat was hoarse from yelling. My energy was way higher than everyone else’s; Everyone was trying to bring me down to their level.

“And that’s why he wouldn’t want you to think it’s your fault,” Gon said.

“He wouldn’t want me to be punished for the crime I committed?” I asked, “Of course not! I didn’t want to see Cho dead! I bet you didn’t want to see Haruka dead either, because we loved them! But- Guilty is guilty is  _ guilty _ !”

Oda removed herself from her podium. Her steps were wobbly at the knee, but nonetheless she walked toward me. I looked at her walking, and she stopped right in front of me.

“Oda-”

She slapped me, clean across the cheek.

“Vote for Mitsuo, you fucking coward,” she said, before looking at our camp leader, “Start the vote.”

The world felt like it was in color again, and Oda walked back to her podium.

“Man, I don’t know  _ what _ I was expecting from you guys! I’m so glad you’re all full of surprises!” Monokuma seemed giddy, “Alright, so let's get on with the vote!”

My finger hovered above my own picture. The guilt ate me alive. I deserved to be in a grave with Mitsuo. I could feel despair swirl in my vision again. And then I looked at him.

Mitsuo.

Smiling.

He was happy once. He was happy at camp. He was kind, and understanding. He was beautiful. I think… I think I liked him even more than I let on. And he killed himself. He did it because he let himself forget that we all loved him in the present moment. He lived in the past. He didn’t have to be a loser, or a clown anymore. He could’ve just been Mitsuo, and that would’ve been enough for me.

I clicked his face.

“It’s so easy to tally votes with only five of you left,” Monokuma said, slamming the button in front of him. 

Five votes for Mitsuo Ito.

His face lit up on the screen for a moment, and I got to see that smile one more time.

It then flashed to a different picture of him: he was in his face paint. He was still smiling. He seemed excited for school.

We tortured him.

The word  _ GUILTY  _ flashed over his eyes, and we all discovered that we were right. Mitsuo killed himself.

I was crying. I didn’t even notice that I had let myself go. Everyone looked at the screen. Nobody looked away from the sweet face that we broke. A wave of disgust washed over us and ate at us from the inside out.

“So…” Monokuma laughed, “I’ve prepared a very special punishment for our Super High School Level Clown!”

“What?” I snapped out of my daze.

“Let’s give it everything we got!”

“What do you mean?” I looked around at my fellow classmates, “He’s already dead!”

“It’s punishment time!”

The light above Monokuma’s throne flicked on:  _ ON AIR _

The screen changed to a colorful melange of text:  _ Clown Car Funeral! _

_ _

Mitsuo’s body was shown in an open casket, with a Monokuma dressed as a mortuary cosmetologist stepping down from beside him. With one last touch of a single powder puff to the cheek, Mitsuo’s face was complete: full faced clown makeup was applied to his dead body. Beside the Monokuma who did Mitsuo’s makeup was another Monokuma, dressed as a clown. He was holding a bouquet of fifteen balloons: each one with a marked face of ours on it. He tied each of the balloons to Mitsuo’s neck, lifting him out of the coffin completely.

One by one, several clown Monokuma’s shot the balloons, popping them. It went in the order in which we lost our friends: Joben, Cho, Afu, Haruka, Hibiki, Noboru, Zuzu, Ginko, Ami, and Takumi. The final five balloons, the five of us, were popped simultaneously.

Mitsuo’s body fell to the ground, limp.

The several Monokuma’s loaded him onto a stretcher, and ran him to a tiny, toy car. They shoved his body in, breaking bones and cutting him open just to force his whole form inside. Blood leaked from the closed doors as the four of them tried as hard as possible to close his body inside of it. His wrist broke, cleanly, in a direction I had never seen a wrist bend, before they were able to force the door closed.

The car drove away, leaving a trail of bright, pink blood behind it.

The screen went to static.

And the five of us were left alone with our memories of the academy. Narumi’s head fell into her hands, and she walked to the elevator, sobbing. Shun followed her, trying his hardest to comfort her. Gon gave me a weak smile before wheeling back to the elevator.

Oda did not budge.

I approached her, “Uh. thanks for… thanks for snapping me back to reality… Before I could hurt anyone.”

Oda just held onto her podium.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m trying to cry.”

“O-Oh,” I wasn’t sure what to say, “Why?”

“My little sisters are dead.” She said it so plainly, like it wasn’t an earth splitting memory.

“O-Oh my god, Oda, I’m so-”

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” she said, staring down at her screen, “It was a drunk driver. He hit their carpool,” her head shot up. She looked more tired than sad, “The worst part is… Getting my memories back… I already mourned them. I don’t feel… Anything anymore.”

I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t make her cry. I couldn’t make her feel. I couldn’t make her do anything.

“I’ll find it in me,” she said, taking a deep breath, “Probably when I’m out of this hellhole.”

“Are- are you-”

“The better question is… Are you okay?” She interrupted.

“Oda I-”

“How about we get you back to your room… You look like you’re going to pass out.”

She wasn’t wrong. When she brought me back to my room, I immediately collapsed into my bed.

The sudden onslaught of memories, of feelings, of happenings… They had to coexist in my gut with feelings created at camp.

Cho was my best friend, and losing her made it feel worse.

Joben… He was… He was my boyfriend. Joben and I had gotten together at the end of my first year, and were still together by graduation. I was… well, in love with him. It didn’t set aside my feelings for Mitsuo, but instead, left me confused.

The scrap of paper I received in my stack with type on it was from Mitsuo. He had slipped it under my dorm door on the night of his attempt.

_ I will miss you most of all _ .

My hands held themselves to my chest.

The feeling was mutual.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

“A clown! He was a fucking clown!”

Monokuma is laughing on his back.

“I haven’t been able to use that word this entire trip! I didn’t want to trigger anyone’s memories!”

He sits up and wipes his beady black eye, “But now, now I can say it all I want… And it’ll sting just a bit more… Clown  clown clown clown clown .”

**Students Remaining: 5**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp  
> Sorry for the noshow for a week! I was really busy last week attending a convention, but you know what that means! Double update!  
> Also sorry about Mitsuo.


	33. Chapter 6: The Sweet Kiss of Despair

Love is weird. It’s heavy in your chest: fluttery, benevolent, but still hurts… so bad.

I was in love with Joben. It didn’t feel right. It felt like a tacked on memory of the person I had become at camp, but two things were true: I was at least eighteen years old, and I was in love with my high school boyfriend, Joben Suzuki, who was killed by my best friend, Cho Kakawa.

I cried. I cried for a long portion of the day, and well into the night. I mourned my friends, who I suddenly remembered. I mourned my boyfriend, who I suddenly longed for. And I mourned Mitsuo, who I had overwhelming guilt for hurting all those years.

My relationships with the people at camp weren’t far off from what it was like in high school. Some people, I actually got closer to in camp than I did the three years at Hope’s Peak. But it didn’t matter, most of them were dead.

There were still mysteries: Why did my memories cut off after graduation? Why are we here if we’re no longer Hope’s Peak students? Who put us here? Is the concept of a mastermind, someone playing the game alongside us, really that far fetched?

It hurt my brain to think anymore.

I waved in and out of sleep, not really caring about anything anymore. The game was stupid. My memories were pointless. Why did anything even matter anymore?

The night time announcement rang. Then the morning announcement some time later. I didn’t want to get up.

So I didn’t force myself to. Breakfast wasn’t mandatory, so sue me if I was in mourning and couldn’t make it.

I sincerely doubted anyone else could make it either.

So I laid in bed. I thought about Joben, but also… Mitsuo wouldn’t leave my mind. The Sen at camp wouldn’t have cared that he was a clown. She really wouldn’t. In fact, she’d be proud that he finally had a purpose! The Sen that went to school with him was still a horrible person, and I wanted to erase her completely.

Mitsuo was kind, undeserving of the rough bullying that was put on by other classmates. And I was a stupid fucking coward for not going against the grain on his treatment. It was weird having your feelings erased, because when they came back to you, you can argue with them, using the new person you’d become as leverage.

“Attention campers! Please make your way to the dining hall, I have a surprise for you! Attendance is mandatory!”

I forgot, after every murder was a new little prize, a motive for us to play his game. Attendance was mandatory? I was starting to gauge whether him killing me mattered anymore.

_ Don’t give in to despair,  _ blared in my head. There wasn’t any point to participating anymore, but there wasn’t a point to giving up. I wouldn’t let my classmates die in vain. I had to end it.

And all I could think was… The end is near. I had to put an end to this killing game.

So I dressed myself, and I walked to the dining hall with determined steps.

I was the third one there: Gon and Narumi sat, talking quietly.

“Hey Sen…” Gon said in a low, sad voice. He sniffled, and asked, “How are you doing?”

“I’m done being sad,” I said, sitting down, “The only emotion I can feel is determination to get us all out of here okay. Anything else… And I’ll crumble.”

Gon had heavy bags under his eyes. He probably stayed up all night, remembering how in love with Haruka he really was. All those memories of life together… And he couldn’t return to that.

“How about you guys?” I asked.

I had never seen Narumi so disheveled. Her hair was up on the top of her head in a messy bun. She didn’t wear her blazer or her heels. Her stockings had rips at the toes, and were stained along the feet where she walked through the dewed dirt, over to the dining hall.

“I’m a failure,” was all she said, hanging her head.

Gon put his hand over her, and said, “She feels as if she let Mitsuo down, both now and previously.”

“Because I did.”

“He was not your responsibility,” Gon reassured her.

I sat beside her, petting her back, “We all… We all should feel bad about our treatment of Mitsuo. But it’s… It has to be a motivator to avenge him instead! Turn the horrible energy of how bad you feel into resentment toward this game. We need to figure out-”

“Jesus, I’m going!” Shun shouted as he entered the dining hall. Oda came in after him. And after her, Monokuma.

“I hate slackers,” Monokuma shook his head, entering the building. Shun and Oda sat beside us. Monokuma stood, and said, “Weird… That’s all of you.”

I looked around: It sure was.

“Well… Who’s ready for my little gift?”

None of us responded.

“I said, who’s ready?”

We looked at each other.

“If you don’t respond, I won’t give it to you… And trust me, it’s a game changer.”

“What is it?”

“ _ Ah!  _ I guess that counts,” Monokuma replied to Shun’s question, “Now… Usually I give you all a new section of camp to explore… but… with budget cuts and all, I can’t actually give that to you. So instead… I can give you guys something better!”

All of our tablets chimed. We could hear an echo of Monokuma’s voice in each other's tablets: “Attention everyone! A new rule has been created!”

I unlocked my tablet, and looked at the rules section:

  1. Under no circumstances are you to leave camp.
  2. Violence against the camp leader is strictly prohibited.
  3. Intentional destruction of camp property is prohibited.
  4. You may leave the camp of mutual killing if you commit a murder and are not caught.
  5. No areas of camp are off limits: This includes unoccupied cabins. If you wish for your cabin to not be accessed, lock your door.
  6. All other posted rules are void.



“Wait,” Gon asked, “What?”

“All other posted rules are void!” Monokuma repeated, “This means signs don’t mean shit! There’s no forty-minute rule in the records office, boys can go in the girl’s spa, there’s no closing on any areas, it’s all free range!”

“And… We have access to other rooms?” Gon asked.

“Yeah, starting now, all the rooms of the dearly departed are unlocked!”

Gon stood, his chair tipping over with the force of his stance. Monokuma shouted, “Hey! No leaving yet! Sit your ass down!”

Gon was still standing. His body primally called for to run to Haruka’s room. Maybe he just wanted to see what it was like inside. Maybe he wanted to be surrounded by her. Maybe he wanted to lay in her bed, amongst her sheets, and breathe in the smell of the departed.

Slowly, he picked up his chair, and sat back down.

“Thank you,” Monokuma said calmly, “ _ You shits ready for a motive! _ ”

“No,” Oda crossed her arms.

“Too bad!” Monokuma headed toward the door, “Follow me!”

He walked us all to the main stage, from where all of Zuzu’s equipment was removed. The podium still stood there, with the Hope’s Peak crest emblazoned on the front of it. We walked up the stage, and on a small metal plate, was a handgun.

“ _ A gun? _ ” I shouted.

“A gun!” Monokuma repeated.

“What the fuck would we need a gun for?” Shun asked.

“To end this killing game,” Monokuma laughed, “There are six bullets. There are five of you. If… Let’s say… Sen, were to pick up the gun, she could kill every single one of you… Then me, and Gurekuma. She’d be free to leave after that.”

“Why would I ever-”

“And hell… For some of you… It’s a one in four chance of stopping the  _ mastermind _ .”

“Th-The maserm-mind?” Narumi swallowed.

“You assholes already figured it out,” Monokuma seemed to roll his eyes, “One of you is actually me. One of you is the reason you all are here. One of you wanted to watch everyone kill each other.”

“ _ What? _ ” I barked, “The mastermind is still standing? How did nobody kill them yet?”

“Maybe everyone likes them?” Monokuma shrugged, looking me dead in the eye, “Maybe they’ve been good at hiding.”

A sudden wave of distrust overcame us, as we all looked at one another.

“One last thing,” Monokuma gestured Oda forward. She looked around, and shook her head. Monokuma said, “Now!”

Oda took a few steps forward.

“Pick up the gun.”

“No.”

“Pick up the fucking gun!” Monokuma shouted.

Oda grabbed the gun off of the metal plate.

All of our tablets, but hers, chimed, “Someone has picked up the gun! Run for your lives!”

Oda dropped it on the plate.

Only her tablet chimed, “Gun returned.”

“Wait, it’s not gonna warn the rest of us?” Shun asked, “That’s fucked up!”

“I know right!” Monokuma laughed.

“Can I go now?” Gon asked.

“Yeah, I’m done… You guys are so ungrateful, you know that?”

Gon ran off the stage, and barrelled into Haruka’s room.

Narumi sighed, and walked off to her room.

Shun looked at Oda, and then me, and said, “Hey, that means the nudity rule in the treehouse is a no-go. How about the three of us-”

Oda walked away.

I stood with Shun on the stage.

“Alright, fine, just the two of us,” Shun smirked.

I shook my head, and walked away.

Shun chased after me, “Hey wait, I was only kidding!”

“I’m not really in the mood for those kinds of jokes.”

“Jeez, sorry, okay,” Shun said, still walking beside me, “Wanna hang out?”

I looked at him, and he smiled his usual smile at me. It was bright, and begging for forgiveness.

“The truth of the fact is, I’m gonna put a little more purple in my hair, and I need someone to get the back.”

I groaned, but gave in.

Shun was actually fun to be around, when he wasn’t terribly annoying. He took me into his room, and I was surprised to find it looked exactly like salon with a bed crammed in it. There were hundreds of colors of dyes, and types of shampoos lined along the shelves on the wall. His room was cramped, hard to get around, and his bathroom, though the same size as mine, and everyone else’s, was jam-packed with bowls and brushes and all the doo-dads you need to style hair.

I assisted Shun in getting the back of his hair, and then we sat and waited for the dye to soak in.

“How does your hair not fall out, with all the work you do to it?”

“It’s trial and error, baby,” he laughed, “You think my hair was always healthy when I first got the stylin’ bug?”

“Was it not?”

“I mean, I was good at it, don’t get me wrong, but I also thought it was okay to bleach my hair three or four times, but to get it a perfect white. That turned my hair to fuckin’ spaghetti, dude.”

“Oh, gross. What happens to it?”

“It gets all stringy, and instead of breaking cleanly as you pull, it stretches out, like silly putty.”

I couldn’t really visualize it.

“But I learned how to take good care of my hair. How to encourage it’s growth despite how often I change it.”

I remembered that in high school, he tried to change his color nearly monthly, sometimes sooner.

“So it’s pretty healthy,” he shrugged, “And with this new cut I give myself, my natural hair grows in the undercut, so I’m not fucking it up  _ too  _ bad.”

“That’s nice,” I said. His natural hair was a dark, dark brown. I wondered what he would look like with a full head of dark hair.

“If you could could give everyone left a new color, what would you give us?”

He paused a moment, maybe he was surprised by my piqued interest in his talent, or maybe he didn’t know right off the bat.

“Any color? Natural or not?”

“Any color,” I nodded.

“Okay, so,” he listed on his fingers, “Gon I’d go a darker black. Narumi, I think I’d give her white or silver hair, Oda, I’d give her a deeper purple, and you… A dark blue. Oh! And me… I’ve been wanting to do a peach color forever now.”

“Peach?” I asked, “Why?”

“I think it’d look real nice against my skin tone,” he put his hands under his chin, “Why, you don’t think so?”

“No! It’s fine! I just forgot you don't’ care about  _ girly _ colors.”

“Damn right I don't!” He argued, “To call a color girly or boyish is bullshit… I think there are just colors people can and can’t pull off on their head, and that's the only way you should be stopped from dying your hair, you know?”

“What color should I stay away from?”

He looked at me, paused a moment, and licked his lips, “Yellows. You’d be a bad blonde. A highlighter yellow would look ridiculous.”

“And you?”

“Bright oranges and yellows,” he laughed, “Trust me, one of the first colors I did was a highlighter orange, and I didn’t leave my bed for  _ days _ . Nobody could know.”

I laughed.

He was quiet a minute, and then said, “Can I ask you something…?”

“Go for it.”

“How do you feel… About Joben?”

Sadness waved over me. He bit his lip.

“I… It’s weird, because it’s almost an afterthought, my feelings for him… But, yeah, Joben and I were together. I… Loved him- I love him.”

“But was it like- weird? Weird for those feelings to come back, and for you to realize you missed your train. Hell, you let the train leave the station and boarded the Mitsuo express by mistake-”

“That wasn’t a mistake!” That left my mouth before I could even think. Shun raised his eyebrows at me. I cleared my throat, “What I mean is… Mitsuo deserved every feeling I felt for him. If I had known… About Joben, maybe things would be different. But I wouldn’t change any way I treated anyone while at camp,” I sighed, “If I’m going to be honest… I hate the person I was at Hope’s Peak. I can’t believe-”

“We all treated Mitsuo like that… God, I think about it, and what typical 80’s movie bullshit. I was a bully, through and through, and that’s fucked up. I wish… I wish he came out, like a man, and confronted us about it. Told us he was a clown, forced us to relive our memories, face our bullshit treatment of him, make us face our demons instead of ki- Doing what he did.”

“I think Mitsuo thought he was to blame, not the other way around,” I wiped my eye, “I miss him.”

“Me too…” Shun sighed, “He was a cool guy. He was fuckin’ in love with you… I wonder how Joben would’a handled that.”

I laughed through tears. Memories of how horribly Joben disregarded Mitsuo disgusted me. Memories of how much I loved him made my disgust calm.

“You think Joben would’ve flipped his lid to see the feeling was mutual?”

I swallowed, hard. Was it cheating? I didn’t know about him and I, so how could it be? I couldn’t say anything except, “If it took me… liking Mitsuo at camp for him to feel… loved… Then I don’t care how Joben would’ve handled it. We owe Mitsuo so much- So much more than he deserved.”

“Damn right,” he sighed, “Pour one out for the guy.”

The silence was uncomfortable. We were face to face with our own demons.

Shun stood and stretched, “I think I’m gonna rinse this out… Thanks for hanging out with me, Sen… Maybe I’ll see you sometime later, so you can see your good work.”

“Ha… Yeah,” I stood, “See ya…”

I left his room sadder than I had arrived. My legs wobbled. Next door to him was Joben’s room. I walked up the stairs and turned the handle. It was unlocked.

I had been in his room, even before the murder. He told me a secret there. He told me he felt like he could trust me. He told me the game wasn’t what it seemed. And he was killed.

The rug that lay below his dead boy was removed. Some stains couldn’t bee freed, no matter how hard Gurekuma scrubbed. Most of his books were up against the wall, a few select were removed, probably on account of the blood. 

I approached the bookshelf, and pulled a book. The cover read  _ The Smile in You _ . I opened it to check who had checked it out. My name was on the list, with a little heart doodled next to it.

“Fuck,” I exhaled. I pulled the book to my chest and sat in his bed. I pulled the covers over my body and let myself get comfortable.

Even though I had memories of loving him return to me, I felt numb.

I smelled his pillow, his blanket, I read his book with my name in hearts inside of it, and all I could feel was emptiness.

I openly wailed.

I didn’t know if I was mourning him, or mourning my lack of feelings.

The door opened: It was Gon. His eyes were puffy and his nose was red. He smiled bashfully at me and asked, “Mind if I get a book or two?”

I gestured a go-ahead. He smiled.

“Are you okay?” He asked, “Well… Are you going to be okay?”

“Am I a bad person?” I asked.

Gon seemed taken aback by this. “No, absolutely not,” he rounded the bed, and sat beside me, “What makes you ask that?”

“I came in here to see if I could feel something, but I just feel… empty.”

“Sen… I’m no psychologist… But…  _ So  _ much has happened in the weeks we’ve been here,” he sniffled, then laughed a little, “Even the fact that it’s only been  _ weeks _ makes me want to throw up. But… In this time, we’ve seen so much  _ violence _ . Needless violence… And for what? Some game that we didn’t even sign up for? So at this point, if your well has run dry… It’s not your fault.”

“I just feel… Torn,” I said.

“Between?”

“Life at Hope’s Peak, and life here at camp.”

“You don’t need to separate them, though,” Gon shook his head, “Let camp be a continuation of life after school, just like it is.”

“But I’m scared that those two times made two different Sens.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Sen at school did  _ horrible _ things to Mitsuo. The Sen at school loved her friends… and had a boyfriend…  _ in Joben Suzuki _ . I don’t even know how to mourn him. I was sad he died, when he was- er- killed, but now… I can’t tell if I’m supposed to revisit that… And be  _ devastated. _ And am I supposed to feel  _ less _ about Mitsuo’s death, considering it’s all my fault-”

“It’s  _ not  _ your fault. Mitsuo was-”

“Treated like shit in the time he needed friends the most!” I didn’t mean to yell, “By me… By you… By all of us… He didn’t want to live, because he thought he was utterly alone.”

“But that was his choi-”

“What was the other choice? Be isolated and ridiculed and feel like shit every day? We hurt him, Gon. We hurt him badly!”

“I know,” he whispered, “I don’t know… I don’t know how i’m going to live with myself after this.”

“Me either.”

“With any luck, someone will end the game, and kill us in the process,” he joked. It wasn’t funny.

“What books did you take?” I looked at his two books.

He tilted the titles to face me:  _ Alone on Wormwood Mountain _ and  _ Memphis _ .

I opened the front page.

I had checked both of those out. So did he, and Haruka.

“Do you remember how the books go now?”

He nodded, “Yeah.” He gestured to the first one, “Main character dies in the end, and,” he gestured to the second, “The guy gets the girl and the career.”

I nodded. I remembered too.

He looked at the book I had pulled to my chest.

“What’s that one?”

“The girl ends up alone. She decides she’s best that way anyways,” I handed him the book.

“Spoilers.”

“It’s still a good read.”

“May I?” His hand hovered over the book. I nodded. He took the three books and stood, “I’ll be in Haruka’s cabin if you need me.”

“I’ll be… here maybe.”

“I’ll find you if I gotta,” Gon nodded at me, “If you can cry… You should cry.”

I laughed.

He closed the door behind him.

I laid in Joben’s bed without a book, and without a single feeling. Even when I cried, I didn’t really feel sad. I just felt like something was leaving me.

It wiped me out. Eventually, I fell asleep in his bed.

When I woke up, the sun was setting.

At first, I was confused by the room not being my cabin, but them I remembered where I was. I crept out of bed, and as my feet hit the hardwood floor, I remembered going over to Joben’s house in the summertime. He had a nice, large house, with dark hardwood floors. Every time my bare feet tapped against the floor, it reminded me that there was no sneaking around in houses like his. My family’s apartment was completely carpeted, which was annoying to vacuum, but tiptoeing through, giggling and holding Joben’s hand as a guide to my room wasn’t too hard a feat.

I opened the door to the outside, and took a deep breath in. The sky was an amber orange over the trees, contrasting the horizon in black. There was a bit of an orange glow in the distance, behind the silhouetted pine trees. I squinted. Plumes of smoke rose into the cloudy sky.

“Fire?” I whispered. It wasn’t anywhere near us, but for it to be visible was something to worry about.

“I was worried about that too,” Narumi said. I looked down at her from the porch, but she looked at the horizon, “The wind is blowing toward us. Hopefully the fire won’t make it over here.”

“Yeah, hopefully,” I frowned.

“Oda is making dinner,” Narumi smiled at me, “Care to join?”

“Oda? Cooking?” I said aloud. I guess it made sense, considering she had a family of little ones to take care of.

“Yeah, she sorta… Just walked into the kitchen and she was making dinner. She made everyone get out,” she shrugged.

“Maybe she poisoned the food,” I joked.

Narumi looked at me and forced herself to laugh.

We entered the dining hall, where Oda stood, setting a bread basket on the table. She had her hair pulled back by a headband, and an apron hanging around her neck and tied at her waist.

The table was set beautifully. There was a roast, a salad, a side of potatoes, and bowl of bread. She looked at us and said, “Oh, you’re right on time. Could you smell it?”

We couldn’t from outside, but as soon as we were inside, the smell assaulted our noses in the most loving way.

“Can you grab everyone else, actually?” Oda asked.

Narumi and I went into Haruka’s room to grab Gon, and knocked on Shun’s door.

There was no response.

We headed to the backstage area, to find he was gone from there as well.

“Maybe he is in the treehouse. There was plenty of entertainment there,” Narumi suggested, but as soon as we walked there, Shun exited his room.

“Hey! Were you guys knocking?” He shouted after us, “Sorry, I was takin’ a dump. What’s up?”

“Oda made dinner,” Narumi smiled at him earnestly, “She wanted us to gather everyone up.”

“Oh, cool, cool,” he picked at the inside of his ear, and then joined us in walking to the dining hall.

Oda had set the table with a place for five. The eleven other chairs that seemed to crowd the empty room were set against the wall. Oda sat at the head of the table, and the four of us took our seats.

“This smells amazing, Oda! You did this all yourself?”

“I needed to think,” she said plainly, “And I think best when I’m doing busy work. Cooking is just busy work to me.”

She served us, like a mother or father would do, and then herself. We talked over the dinner like a family of dysfunctional teens. We teased one another for things that happened in high school- sudden memories. Narumi laughed with her hand over her mouth when she remembered Ginko pantsing Shun during gym. The problem was, he didn’t wear underwear under his shorts. Shun burst into embarrassed laughter. Oda recalled Cho tripping, spilling her juice all over Narumi, and landing face first into her under-buttoned blouse. Narumi turned pink at the memory. Gon pitched in his memory of Oda learning how to horseback ride with Noboru’s help. He was petrified in fear of the large creature, and right as she started to calm down, Noboru clicked his tongue in his mouth, telling the horse to canter, making Oda scream the whole way. Oda rolled her eyes. I recalled Gon wearing turtlenecks in the middle of a heatwave, his face turning furiously red and sweat constantly dripping from his brow. We all urged him to change his style, because he was going to pass out. Eventually, he did, and the shirt was removed to reveal ugly purple hickies, courtesy of Haruka Inoue. Gon owned up to the embarrassment. Shun pointed at me, and remembered I was no better. All of senior year, I developed a habit of goosing Joben as I walked behind him. One day, in the library, Shun witnessed me give him a particularly firm pinch on the bum, only for the recipient to yelp, and turn around. He was a first year from the seventy-fourth class. He was the Super High School Level Student Council President, and I just pinched his butt. Shun barked in laughter about how horrified we both looked, and how I stammered an apology, but then just took off running. I reflected the horrified look.

Dinner was delicious, and after, we retired to our rooms to sleep, or read, or think, but instead, I stood in the corridor between the cabins, and inhaled a sigh. My memories were good. I loved life at Hope’s Peak.

I looked at Mitsuo’s cabin.

It physically hurt in my chest that my friends and I, people who loved our school lives, could cause someone to hate theirs.

I walked to his door, and opened it.

The inside of his room was trashed. His bed was unmade. His clothes were strewn on the floor. There were wadded up balls of paper everywhere. His trashcan was overflowing. The pad of paper beside his desk was down to two or three pieces.

I unwadded the first paper.

_ Sen- _

_ I know you _ _ didn’t mean _

A large scribble took up the rest of the page.

I unwadded another.

_ Did you want to torture me in this life too? Pretending to be interested in me must have been pretty fucking funny to everyone else but _

_ FUCK _

_ FUCK _

I could feel my throat tightening.

I went for another

_ I was so in love with you. I thought we’d make it out together and start something. But I guess the joke’s on me. _

Another.

_ Dear all, _

_ Life after Hope’s Peak was fine. I made a few friends who positively reinforced my hobbies. I got to spend more time with my family. I even got a cat. You know what I named her? Hope. She was nice to me. But I can’t pretend that what happened didn’t ruin my _

It ended there.

I picked up another. My hands shook as I unballed it.

_ I’m sorry Sen. I promised, I know, but knowing who I really am was a despair that I could not handle. Know that I loved you, even after my memories returned. Even before camp. I loved you so FUCKING- _

My eyes welled up.

I approached the bed.

Sitting on top of it was a file: A picture of Mitsuo, makeupless. Next to his name, Super High School Level Clown.

He had found out, and kept the paperwork.

I spent the night in his room, unballing his suicide notes. Some were angry, rightfully so, and others… others detailed how much he hated himself. He faulted himself for our treatment of him. He wished, starting on day one, he stepped away from his talent, only channeling it for evaluations to stay in the school. He desperately wanted our approval.

It wasn’t until I had finished reading every last note, that I held his picture to my chest, and curled into his bed.

I fell asleep there.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma sits on a log, with a fire starter in his hand. He is wearing the same outback hat and vest as before. He’s starting at the camera with no snark, or expression at all really.

“It’s so weird to think that the end is near. Five students. One gun? Let’s make our time together a circle story.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update :)


	34. Chapter Six: The Sweet Kiss of Despair (PART II)

I was awakened by my monopad beeping. I opened my eyes to the pale light of dusk entering Mitsuo’s room. The scratches from the junk beast were still embedded in his walls. I couldn’t believe I slept where he slept. I checked the pad to discover a message from Gurekuma.

_ Students, please meet me at the main stage! It’s important! _

I swiped the message away to see the time: 5:02 AM.

I groaned, and rolled over in my bed.

Another beep.

_ I figured out how to get out! _

Immediately I sprung from my bed, and ran to Gurekuma.

It didn’t take long for all five of us to show up. We were all in various states of dress- Oda was in a nightgown fit for a grandmother, Narumi was in sweatpants and a sports bra, Gon was fully clothed and ready for the day, and Shun was nearly naked, only in his briefs.

“Come, come!” Gurekuma gestured us up to the stage. We all looked at the gun instead of her.

“I know this is a very scary time for you all,” she said, “Considering the violence, and how… this. But I figured out a way to stop Monokuma and control our own futures!”

“And what’s that?”

“We kill ourselves!” She exclaimed, rather cheerfully, “Monokuma can’t have a game if all the contestants are dead!”

“But we’ll be  _ dead _ !” Shun barked.

“It’s better than waiting around until one of your desperate classmates kills you!” Gurekuma pressed her hands to her cheeks, “There’s six bullets, and six of us-”

“You just regenerate! We saw it happen with Monokuma!” I yelled.

“Nope, I’m one of a kind, built by the very person running this whole thing.”

“You know who is the mastermind?” Narumi asked, “Why don’t you tell us?”

“I don’t know, actually,” she frowned, “All I know is that they’re alive, and still at camp.”

We all looked at one another.

“But instead of worrying about that!” Gurekuma said, “We can take our destiny into our own hands! We can end our lives, and put an end to this game! It’s no fun for him if all the players are dead, right?”

“Wrong,” I said, “Who’s to say whoever’s controlling Monokuma can’t get more people to play this fucked up game?”

“The very logic of us all dying!” Gurekuma said, “If we’re all dead-”

“Who will stop the mastermind from going last?”

“Me! I’ll go last!” She clasped her paws, “To make sure you all die!”

“Gurekuma, this isn’t the answer,” Oda said.

“Well, neither was killing your classmates for stupid games and prizes, now was it? And yet, we started with sixteen, and now…”

“I’m going back to my room,” Gon said, “The best way to stop this game is to not play it. And that’s what I’m going to do.”

“You’re making a mistake,” Gurekuma said.

“Yeah, this is bogus,” Shun rolled his eyes, “If you need me, I’ll be asleep.”

Narumi followed Shun, and went to her room.

Oda and I stood with Gurekuma. I looked at Oda, and she looked at the gun.

“What do you know about the mastermind?” Oda said, not breaking eye contact from the gun.

“They brought you all here through trust, they are still alive to maintain Monokuma, and they-” Her voice cut out. He stood still for a moment, then Monokuma’s voice played out of her, “And they are the predecessor to the Ultimate Despair!”

“ _ Monokuma! _ ” I gasped, “Where did Gurekuma go?”

“Oh, I just put her programming on timeout. Can’t have her blabbing,” he did a spin, “She’ll be back after a stern talking to, and a good wipe.”

“A wipe?”

“Hell, I don’t even care if she doesn’t remember any of you! Serves her right!”

“Monokuma!” Oda asked, “What would happen to your game if we all ended our lives?”

“It’d be a twist ending,” he giggled, “The game would be over. I’ve had better games, and I’ve had worse.”

“So you’ll find new people to torture,” I said, “So there’s… no point in escaping if sixteen more people are going to suffer.”

“Are you… saying what I think you’re saying?”

I looked at her with sadness in my eyes, “We need to… spend the rest of our lives here.”

“No… No, no, no, no! I have a family, they- they-”

“They could be next.”

“But-”

“Cute that you think that you can live in harmony,” Monokuma said, “I’ve had people think that too… Until the despair sets in.”

“Shut up!” Oda shouted, “Shut up you stupid bear!” She was crumbling, “I want my life back! I want my memories back! I want-”

“Wah! I want, I want, I want!” Monokuma teased, “Go cry to your mommy- Oh wait!”

“You son of a-”

I grabbed Oda, and held her close to me, before she could charge at Monokuma. She burst into tears in my arms.

“I’m bored of you guys… Time to reprogram sweet Gurekuma,” he hopped off the stage, walking away in Gurekuma’s body, to the nurse’s tent.

Oda writhed in my arms for a few moments more, and then she went limp with sorrow. I held her up for as long as I could, then collapsed to the ground with her.

I held her as she cried, and when she finally calmed, I took her back to bed.

I slept in her bed with her until the morning announcement went off.

She was awake, staring at the ceiling when my eyes cracked open. I looked at her, unsure what to say.

“Thank you Sen,” she whispered, “You’re always there when I need you.”

“It’s no-”

“Please don’t be the mastermind,” she said.

“Oda… I’m-”

“I… I honestly think that if we get out of here okay… I want to keep you in my life… forever.”

I was quiet a moment, and then I nodded, “I don’t think I could be without any of you.”

She sat up, and nodded, “Yeah…”

She dressed, and we ate breakfast together: steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar.

We were both silent through breakfast. All I could think about was how absent we were from one another’s lives all throughout high school. How could we be so close now?

Was it surviving death?

Probably.

“Hey, I have some laundry to do,” she stood, “Do you?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a load,” I stretched, “Want me to come with?”

“Actually, let me do it for you, you know, to repay you,” she said, “Gimme your key.”

She held out her hand. All I could do was look at it, and think of Cho. Cho meant well when she took my key and changed my clock. She wanted to get the both of us out of the fucking game. But… I couldn’t trust like that again… Not even to Oda.

“I- I’ll go with you.”

“Why- Oh. I understand.” She didn’t take any convincing.

She and I gathered our laundry up, and went to the laundry room. It was just a quick visit of throwing our things in and leaving, but it was nice to just be in one another’s presence.

Oda headed to her room, and I assumed she wanted to be alone.

I felt my shoulder bag: it was a lot lighter than when we first arrived. The monocoins I was given at the beginning to spend throughout my time at camp were dwindling down. I didn’t care to earn more. My friends were my friends because they loved me, and not the items I gave them.

Nonetheless, I went to the vending machine, and spent just a few coins, leaving myself with three remaining. In return, I was given a nice pair of red heels, men’s body spray, a puzzle cube, and a bag of sweet potato chips.

Leaving the equipment room, I saw Gon, who exited Haruka’s room rather wobbly. I stood at the bottom of the steps and waved, “Hey Gon.”

“Ah, hello Sen,” he said, pushing up his glasses.

“Do you want to hang out?” I asked him.

He smiled kindly at me, and nodded, “I’d love that.”

He and I ended up going to the treehouse to enjoy a movie. We sat at opposite ends of the couch, at first, respecting one another’s personal space, but by the end of the movie, I laid down completely on the couch, and my feet sat on his thigh.

We had a snack together in the treehouse, and talked at the table.

“Hey, do you like those puzzle cubes?” I asked, fishing it out of my bag, “I thought, out of everyone here, you’d appreciate it the most.”

“I do,” he held his hands out, and caught my slight toss, “That’s really nice of you Sen!”

“No problem,” I shrugged, “Say, have you been sleeping better now that you’re in Haruka’s room?”

He smiled slightly, “I’d say… Yes. It’s comforting to smell something familiar… Someone you love. Didn’t you sleep in Mitsuo- Er, Joben’s room.”

“I’ve slept in both,” I admitted, “They were… sad, exhausted sleeps. But once I was out, I was out. There was no tossing and turning. It was like he was holding me.”

“Joben?”

“Heh, yeah,” I didn’t know what I meant.

“How have you been… since Gurekuma’s proposition?” He asked rather meekly. It was like he didn’t want to know the answer.

“It’s only been several hours since,” I shrugged, “I try not to give it much thought.”

“I… I have. I’ve been awake since,” gon admitted, “Just thinking about it. Thinking about… The mastermind. If you were to guess it was someone… Who would you bet on?”

“Gon!” I was taken aback by him. My brow furrowed, “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Just, if we had to make an educated guess, I’d say it’s-”

“Don’t say anything!” I stood, “Everyone here… They’re our  _ friends _ . We don’t even know who’s telling the truth anymore! Why should we believe Gurekuma, when she wants us to kill ourselves!”

“Because killing the mastermind is the only way out!” He stood, suddenly, sending his chair teetering back in the action.

“We don’t know who the mastermind is! We can’t just go off killing our friends!”

“And that’s why Gurekuma is maybe right!” He stiffened.

The statement sent a jolt down my spine that only true despair could bring me. Gurekuma… right? We should all kill ourselves? Just to control our own destinies?

He saw the horror on my face.

“I’m just saying,” he said, “If we leave it up to chance… Like, spinning a wheel… Don’t you think that we’re more likely to catch the mastermind than just wait for them to reveal themselves? They haven’t slipped up thus far…”

“But what if they’re the last one? What if they survive?” I asked, “Then they get to escape, and start a new game with new people… And who knows who they’ll take! They might even take our friends… our families! They got us, didn’t they?”

“I know, I just-”

“You just what? Are willing to risk our lives, and the lives of sixteen new people, just to leave?”

“I’m willing to  _ die,  _ if if means you guys get out safe!” He barked at me, “I have nothing left to live for. The woman I loved killed someone, and I can’t stop thinking about her like she’s a victim. I keep having memories of us where she- She and I discuss baby names, and we talk about where we want to get married, and how we’ll rent a join office until we can afford our own buildings, and- I don’t have that anymore! I don’t have her, I don’t have that will, I don’t have anything! This game,” he was crying. He removed his glasses, and all I could see was the grey, lifelessness of despair, swirling around his eyes, “This game left me empty. I have nothing. I am nothing.”

“Gon…?”

“And if we don’t leave it up to chance… Well, I’ll just make the guess one-in-four anyway.”

“Gon, what are you saying?”

“There’s six bullets, Sen… Remember that.”

My hands grabbed his shoulders, and I shook him. He looked lifeless.

“Gon, Gon wake up!” I was shouting in his face.

A slight smile twitched on his lips.

I grabbed his cheeks, pursing his lips outward. He didn’t react. He was almost drooling at the idea of killing himself. I bit my lip and drew my hand backward, making full contact with his cheek and a hard slap.

He took a step back, and looked at me. His eyebrows perched on his forehead, and he said, “I’m sorry… I’m so- I’m so sorry.”

His eyes welled up with tears. I watched him crumble to the floor.

“I- I had that thought, when Haruka died… It was there, but… Fleeting. And then it returned… After every execution, after every body discovery, why don’t I just-”   
“I can’t handle another… Okay?” I said, my voice more angry than sad, “I couldn’t handle Zuzu. Mitsuo is still ruining me… And you?”

“I- I know, Sen, I just-”

“You just nothing, okay? Gurekuma is wrong. Controlling our destiny is wrong. Any more death is just… wrong.”

He fished for his glasses, which sat at the table. I ripped off the perforated edge of a paper towel and handed it to him. He blew his nose.

I sat on the floor with Gon for awhile. We didn’t talk, at first. It was just a silent moment of holding one another, holding onto any hope that’s left. We talked about memories with everyone who died. Good memories. We even had some with Mitsuo.

I spent the rest of the day beside Gon. I couldn’t hear his ideations and leave his side like I did Mitsuo. I couldn’t let another person- I couldn’t let myself down.

That night, when he started to crumble under emotional exhaustion, and general sleepiness, I took him to Haruka’s room. I asked him if he wanted to do something in the morning. He looked at me with a smile in his eyes and said, “Sen, I’ll be okay.”

“I- I can’t lose-”

“You can’t lose anymore,” his hand touched my cheek, “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to be alright?”

“I have to be,” he said, “I have people who need me.”

I hugged him with the furocity of an estranged friend reconnected. He was in my arms, tighter than I ever thought I‘d hold him, and I old let him go when he placed a firm pat on my back.

“Goodnight Sen,” he said.

“Goodnight, Gon.”

He closed the door between us.

I walked down the steps to find Oda marching back to the laundry room. I caught up to her.

“Hey, are you gonna switch over the loads?”

“I already did,” she smirked at me, “Where have you been all day?”

“With Gon,” I didn’t feel like explaining.

“Ah, okay, well, I switched your clothed to the dryer, hope you don’t mind.”

“No, really, thanks,” I walked with her.

Both of our dryers were still tumbling. She propped herself up on a washer and said, “Sit with me.”

I nodded, and hoisted myself up as well.

Her stomach growled, and she laughed, “God, I didn’t skip dinner… Why are you so loud?”

“Are you snacky?”

“Snacky…? Yeah, I guess. I just wanted to take care of the laundry before I did anything else.”

“Well, what if I said food would be brought to you?” I pulled out the bag of sweet potato chips, and set it between us.

“Sweet potato, thank god,” she opened the back and immediately began eating them, “And… Uh, thank you.”

“No problem,” I shrugged.

We made idle talk about chips and snacks, until I asked, “Oda, can I ask you kind of a… It might be a rude question?”

“You’re gonna wanna do it anyway… I’ll try not to be mad.”

“Did you become a midwife because your mom passed away during childbirth?”

The question hung in the air a little longer than I anticipated.

“When my little brother was born, I was there the whole time. I was with my mom even before her asshole husband showed up. And, you know, even though the whole experience of having your mother screaming in pain, and there are nurses and needles and doctors all running around like mad… There’s a rhythm to it. Contractions can be passed with screaming and breaths. Being able to be that someone… That someone for my mom to lean on… It was the most rewarding feeling in the world. She was… calm.”

“So, it was before?”

“No, you’re no wrong. I wasn’t there for the birth of the twins, and my mom died. I got there after she passed,” she looked down at her feet, “I know it’s not correlated. I know there was nothing I could’ve done other than hold her hand, but I… I want to be there for anyone that wants me. It’s the only way I’ll feel like I’m… I dunno, avenging her?”

“Oda… That’s-”

“I said I know it’s not my fault,” She interrupted.

“No,” I put my hand on her knee, “That’s beautiful.”

Her head darted up slightly, and she looked at me. A pink blush spread across her freckled cheeks.

“I think you’re a good person for doing that.”

She huffed slightly, and jumped down from her seat. She turned back at me, “I think, in some way, we’re all influenced by our family. It can be positive, or negative… I could’ve took my thing, and turned it negative. I could’ve never touched another woman in labor again. I could’ve called myself cursed… But I didn’t. You have to turn the bad things good, or else the world will eat you alive. Even I know that I do it, but… I know there’s beauty in everything.”

“Like I said, beautiful,” I smiled at her, and her blush deepened.

She turned around to the dryer and said, “These clothes have got to be dry by now.”

They were, and she and I folded clothes together.

I came across a pair of my own underwear, whose elastic melted in the dryer. I held them up, and said, “Aw, man. I kinda liked these underwear.”

“I hate it when that happens,” Oda folded one of her vests, “Here.” She threw a pink pair of panties at me, “That’s never happened to these. You can have them.”

“Oda, that’s-”

“What, they’re clean! I’ll tell you where to get more when we’re out,” she smiled.

I looked down at the panties, the word  _ Monday _ was on the front in dark blue. I folded them, and placed them in my basket.

Oda and I finished folding, and went back to our own rooms to sleep.

I felt like it’d been awhile since I saw my own room. I sat on the bed, feeling it spring under me, and sighed. There were five people left.

Five people.

I was one of them. And the mastermind was another.

And the worst part was… I knew I had to find that mastermind.

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma clicks the firestarter against the kindling in the firepit. Slowly, little flames feed into a large, roaring fire, contained by the rock pit.

“It’s strange how similar we are to fire. We need food and oxygen to live. We are destructive and catastrophic forces. We cannot be controlled. We feed on the livelihoods of others. And when we get our way, the world is turned to ash.  _ Puhuhuhu… _ ”

**Students Remaining: 5**


	35. Chapter Six: The Sweet Kiss of Despair (PART III)

I awoke in the morning to Narumi shouting, “Wake up! Everyone!”

There were footsteps up my stairs, and knocking at my door, and then running back down, all accompanied by her shouting.

I rolled out of bed and exited the room, still in the pajamas that Ami had lent me.

“Ah, thank you Sen,” Narumi said to me. She was standing beside Gon and Oda.

Shun’s door opened to him looking groggy, “We had four minutes before the morning announcement! Why did you have to wake us up now?”

“Because!” She held up the paper of the pigtailed girl, who had her name and talent blacked out, just as Mitsuo did, “I was looking through the records, and I stumbled upon his girl again, and again.”

“Ah, the big tiddie lady,” Shun picked up her file, “She was a student, right?”

“Yes. That’s my first concern.”

“She probably had to participate in a killing game, and was a trigger just like Mitsuo,” Oda said, “Poor girl.”

Narumi opened up a rather thick file, and said, “Do you all remember Sen’s graduation speech?”

“Yeah?” Gon said, “Why?”

“In it, she said that we were the seventy-second class of Hope’s Peak academy. If we were plucked from Hope’s Peak, we should be around the age of eighteen, or nineteen.”

“Yeah?” I nodded, “Did you figure out our age?”

“Not exactly, but,” she took a deep breath, and laid our file after file of Hope’s Peak Academy students: Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Toko Fukawa, Aoi Asahina, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata, Chihiro Fujisaki, Mondo Owada, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Hifumi Yamada, Taeko Yasuhiro, Sakura Ogami, Mukuro Ikusaba, and the girl in the pigtails with the blacked out name. She asked, “What do all of these student have in common?”

“Hope’s Peak?” Shun asked.

“No,” Oda whispered, her eyes flashing between the files, “Class seventy-eighth.”

“Class…  _ seventy-eighth? _ ” Gon said, “That means we’re…”

“At least twenty-four,” Narumi’s eyes scanned us all, “But then… I found more papers.”

“M-More?” I was scared to know more.

She handed me a paper. The letterhead said  _ Future Foundation _ . “You were the one curious as to why the words  _ Future Foundation  _ kept popping up, right?”

“Y-Yeah,” I scanned the paper.

_ Future Foundation. _

_ Tengan- _

_ Listed below are the recorded members of the Game Of Mutual Killing Conducted by ***** ********. _

_ Aoi Asahina (SURVIVOR) _

_ Chihiro Fujisaki (DECEASED) _

_ Toko Fukawa (SURVIVOR) _

_ Yasuhiro Hagakure (SURVIVOR) _

_ Mukuro Ikusaba (DECEASED) _

_ Kiyotaka Ishimaru (DECEASED) _

_ Kyoko Kirigiri (SURVIVOR) _

_ Leon Kuwata (DECEASED) _

_ Sayaka Maizono (DECEASED) _

_ Makoto Naegi (SURVIVOR) _

_ Sakura Ogami (DECEASED) _

_ Mondo Owada (DECEASED) _

_ Byakuya Togami (SURVIVOR) _

_ Hifumi Yamada (DECEASED) _

_ Taeko Yasuhiro (DECEASED) _

_ As you may have seen when broadcasted, ***** ******** _ __ _ committed suicide, ending the Game of Mutual Killing, allowing survivors to escape. All survivors have now been absorbed into Future Foundation, 13th and 14th branch (sans Toko Fukawa, who will be labeled as an intern until further notice). If there are any complications or concerns, please contact me, or my Division Head, Koichi Kizakura. _

_ Thank you, _

_ Narumi Ikeda _

“Narumi… You work for future foundation?” I asked.

“I supposed I do,” she looked rather guilty, “I don’t know what it means. All I know is… This girl with the blacked out name… I think she was their mastermind.”

“What? But it says right here… she committed suicide!” Gon pointed.

“Exactly,” Narumi bit her lip, “I tired to make sense of it… How she could be pulling the strings from beyond the grave, but then I found these.”

She handed me the papers I had found of the students who were detained by members of the future foundation.

“What do these students have to do with that?” Oda asked.

“They all changed their talents,” she stifled a yawn. She handed us a paper, “To  _ Super High School Level Despair.” _

It was another Future Foundation paper, listing all the students who labeled themselves  _ Super High School Level Despair _ . This was a pledge to the woman who started the first game… The woman, whose name we couldn’t know.

“So… We’re just in a copycat game made in homage of the dead psycho chick?” Shun said.

“From what I’ve gathered, yes,” she bit her lip, “Apparently… There were tons of these set up to worship her,” she pulled out another paper, “Even one… killing members of the Future Foundation, labeled  _ The Final Killing Game _ .” She read us the account. There were few survivors. Many higher-ups of the future foundation were actually remnants of despair. The Future Foundation was going to be dissolved. Makoto Naegi, the lucky student of the first game of mutual killing was to reopen Hope’s Peak Academy. Kyosuke Munakata was to start a separate school for talented individuals as well.

“Final my ass,” Shun said, “If that’s the last one, then what do you call this bullshit?”

“Someone must have slipped through the cracks… Someone must have- Someone must be trying to prove something. Someone must be trying to keep the idea of despair alive,” Narumi looked in shambles.

“Did you… Did you sleep at all last night?” I asked her, “Or were you following a paper trail?”

“The latter,” she said, “If my assumptions are correct… Then this girl’s name could be a trigger for our memories. This girl, right here,” she pointed at her with a painted fingernail, “Is the reason we are suffering.”

“Son of a bitch,” Shun swore under his breath, “This is such bullshit.”

“If we can discover her name,” Narumi said, “I think there will be a lot more answers.”

“I just want to know… How… much are we forgetting exactly? Because if, at the youngest, we are twenty four, then-”

“Then there’s probably a lot that we don’t remember. Careers, families, friends…”

Gon swallowed heavily. It made me nervous too. I didn’t like that just a few weeks ago, I thought I was fifteen, and now… Well, I might be ten years older. I was… well, to be honest, terrified.

“Narumi, get some sleep,” Shun clapped his hand to her shoulder, “This is real awesome, but you shouldn’t risk yourself like that.”

“Whoa, since when are you Mr. Thoughtful,” Oda asked.

“Since Narumi just worked her ass off instead of sleeping!” Shun retracted his hand, “Sorry if y’think I’m goin’ soft when there’s only five’a us left!”

“No, no, you’re allowed to be soft,” Oda raised a brow at me, “I just never thought I’d see the day.”

“So Narumi,” Shun leaned in, bringing his finger down on the mystery woman’s face, “You think if we find out her name, we will remember our mastermind?”

“Exactly,” Narumi yawned, “I think- God, I’m tired.” She rubbed her temples, “I think it’s just like Mitsuo… Except, maybe her name instead of her talent.”

“Why do you think her talent’s blacked out then?” I asked.

“Maybe it’s both,” Gon said, “Like you have to say, er, Sen Oshiro, Super High School Level Solemnizer.”

“God, what a large trigger word,” Narumi looked like she was going to fall asleep at the table.

“Or maybe it’s either?” Oda asked, “As if our mastermind almost… wants to be caught.”

“Well, wouldn’t a perfect recreation of the first game of mutual killing if our mastermind was caught in the end?” Narumi put a paper in the middle of the table, “The lucky student Makoto Naegi, with the help of the Super High School Level Detective, was able to uncover that this pigtailed girl was the mastermind, ruining her plan. Her sister, Mukuro Ikusaba, was able to pose as her so she could sneak behind the scenes.” She handed over a stapled report of the first killing game. It was an entire summary. I didn’t want to look.

“Ikusaba! That means we have a last name at least!” I said.

“There’s no  _ way _ it’s that simple,” Oda said, “We just have to find a first name?”

“I don’t think so,” Narumi frowned pointing at the kanji on Mukuro’s file, “I think her name is fake. When it’s written here, it literally means ‘Corpse Warblade’, and as the Super High School Level Soldier… well, that seems a little on the nose.”

Shun swore under his breath, Gon stood and said, “After breakfast, we should split up. Oda and Sen can take the records office, and Shun and I can go to the library to-”

“What about me?” Narumi asked.

“You should go to bed!”

“And  _ you _ shouldn’t be walking to places as far as the library,” Shun said, “How’s your gut?”

“It’s… You’re right,” Gon admitted, “I’ll… I’ll go with whomever to the records office.”

“Hey, I still wanna hang with you, though,” Shun said, “Ladies, do you mind checking out the library?”

“Not at all,” Oda looked at me, and I nodded in agreement.

We all had a quick breakfast; our breakfasts were slowly getting less and less nutritious with fewer people around, and headed in our appropriate directions.

“What do you think we can find about her in a library?” I asked Oda.

“We can check record books, maybe they’ll have little magazines about Hope’s Peak students, like our second motive?” She shrugged, “I don’t know. But… I feel hopeful for once.”

“Narumi really… She really uncovered some stuff,” I sighed, “She might be the one to save the day.”

“Our… what was that kid’s name? Makoto?”

“Makoto Naegi,” I said, “Narumi Ikeda… She’ll be the one to uncover the mastermind, and save our asses.”

We made it to the library, and headed to the back, where the book on us was kept. We pulled all the books off the shelves, and began to go through them.

There was nothing, a whole lot of nothing. It was interesting to see the different talents and school years and kids who attended Hope’s Peak, but we couldn’t find anything to help us.

“S-Sen!” Oda held up a book. The seal of Hope’s Peak was engraved on the front in silver, against the black of the book. It said in fancy lettering, “Hope’s Peak Academy 78th Class”.

We opened the book to full color glossy spreads of these students doing activities together. It was… something to behold. Even though I had just found out that I was at least twenty-four, there was an overwhelming amount of feeling coming from looking at these pictures. To know their fate, the fact that most of them met their demise at the hands of a woman who wanted to see the world fall, well, I almost started to cry then and there.

At least there were more than four others who could empathize with me.

“Wait, there she is,” Oda said, turning the book to face me. She was smiling, holding up a peace sign and sitting next to a girl with long, blueish hair. They were both beautiful girls, smiling bright and happy. They looked like they wanted to be there, but for entirely different reasons.

“The Super High School Level Idol and the Super High School Level ***********  talk about something that’s important to the both of them: clothes!”

“Clothes?” I said, “Maybe her talent had something to do with clothes? Seamstress?”

“With that body,” Oda huffed, “Model.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“What?” She said, plainly pointing at the woman’s breasts in the photo, “I mean, seriously.”

In her defense, they  _ were _ large, but this woman was a horrible, evil mastermind, and I didn’t really want to pay attention to something so trivial.

“Okay, but what if the talent is a trigger,” I paused, “Uh, okay, okay… Clothes… Blogger?”

“Stylist?”

“Makeover-er?”

“We’re gonna sit here all day like this,” she groaned, “Just dog-ear the page, and let’s keep searching.”

I did as she said.

We made it through all the books, even books from before the time of the first game, but there was nothing. The mastermind was thorough in getting rid of all evidence of this girl’s existence. I looked around for Gurekuma, and then ripped out the page of the girl sitting next to the Ultimate Idol.

Oda and I left the library, and headed back to the records office to see if Shun and Gon found anything. They had been searching through disorganized piles, praying that there was something  _ someone  _ missed.

“You guys find anything good?”

Gon shook his head, “Shun and I found a couple files that we want to read, but just for personal reasons.

“Like what?” I asked.

“I found my own scouting record,” Shun held up a manilla envelope, “It’s an overview of the reasons why they chose me.”

“And I found Haruka’s,” Gon showed us the front. A picture of Haruka in a mask and smock was paperclipped to the front.

“Nothing on that girl though?”

“Nope,” Shun frowned, “But we’ve got tomorrow and every day after that to find out. I think we’re close to catching this motherfucker, whoever she is.”

I showed them the book of our mystery girl with the idol. They just shrugged, guessing the same things we did.

We split, exhausted from a day of searching, hoping to treat ourselves well in the evening.

I knocked on Narumi’s door, and she answered, more sluggish than before.

“Hello Sen,” she yawned, “Would you like to come in?”

I nodded, holding the book.

“How did you sleep?”

“Alright,” she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, “It was very restless though. I kept dreaming of that girl. I don’t know how someone so pretty can have such an evil aura to her.”

“Pretty girls can be mean!” I said, “Just think about Ginko!”

She looked down, “Well they can also be nice… Like you, or Oda.”

That was sweet of her. She didn’t need to say that.

"Well, uh, our day search bore no progress, except this,” I handed her the book.

“Oh, is this a-”

“It’s an insider book, just like the one we got.”

She opened it to the dog-eared page, and said, “Ah.”

“That’s the only picture of her in the whole thing,” I confirmed.

“Clothes… Maybe she’s a fashion icon,” she said. She sat on her bed, “We’re getting closer.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, “it’s a good feeling.”

“How are you holding up?” She put her hand on my back, “Since… Our memories returned and-”

“I’ve been better, I can assure you there,” I exhaled, “I have a lot of… feelings. But they’re stuck. I just feel numb.”

“That’s… that’s no good.”

“It’s just that I have so much to mourn. When Joben died, my first thought was _ poor guy _ , but now… Now my feelings are… Well, he was my boyfriend! I lost a man I’ve been with for years! And Cho… She was my best friend, and she was good friends  _ with  _ Joben, and…”

“This is all very complicated.”

“Exactly. I feel guilty for talking to Mitsuo, not knowing I had a boyfriend-”

“But you couldn’t have known-”

“It’s still eating at me.”

“I know,” she sighed, “This is a situation that’s so personal that we’re going to be the only people that understand one another anymore.”

“Except not! There were  _ multiple  _ killing games!”

“You’re right. I just hope that maybe we can meet the other survivors. Maybe we can start a support group. Maybe we can understand each other, because this is the worst possible thing to happen.”

“I think you could start that support group, Narumi,” I smiled at her, “After all, you are the world’s greatest counselor.”

She smiled, but a tear dropped from the end of her nose.

“What’s wrong?”

“I wish I could’ve helped Mitsuo… Zuzu… Ginko,” she took a deep, shaky breath, “I wish I could’ve worked everyone through their angers and anxieties. I don’t feel like I’m worthy of a title when I couldn’t prevent-”

“Narumi!” I held both of her shoulders, “What happened was impossible to stop. This whole world had been a force of despair brought upon by Monokuma and whoever the fuck is controlling that robot. They’re they real monster. You are a survivor, okay? And you’re gonna get out of here with all of us, and you’re gonna start that support group for you, and me, and… Uh, I can’t remember their names.”

She sniffed, “Makoto, and… And… Kyoko, and…” She let out a breathy laugh, “I don’t remember either.”

“And we’re gonna call it… Uh… The Super High School Level Survivor’s Support Network.”

She smiled, and nodded.

I looked her in the eye, “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“Promise?”

“I think… I think I’m more motivated. Thank you Sen.”

I smiled, but I could feel a tear run down my cheek. I was happy. I know I was.

“Here,” Narumi handed me what I thought was a handkerchief, “For your tears.” She stood, and said, “I think I’m going to explore the records office just a bit more, okay?”

“Of course,” I headed toward her door, “Keep that book with you. When you feel afraid of that girl, I dunno, punch it.”

She laughed, and with a pensive smile said, “Thank you Sen.”

I headed out of her cabin and to my room. I wiped my cheek with the hanky she gave me, only to unfurl it in my hand. It was her underwear: a seamless black thong.

I didn’t know if it was a mistake, or a token on her appreciation for me, but I wasn’t about to embarrass her, holding up her underwear. I just put it in my room, and checked the clock.

It wasn’t yet nighttime, not that there really was any more nighttime or daytime.

I looked for Gon, hoping I could hang out with him before night.

He was, to no surprise, in Haruka’s room, curled in her bed.

“Oh, hey Sen,” he sat up, “How’s the search?”

“Oh, I threw in the towel for the day… How was Haruka’s file?” I sat in her dentist chair.

“Just as you’d expect. She’s amazing. Could fill a cavity in two minutes. Her pain-scale was always below a two. She was fast and gentle. Nobody could ask for a better dentist.”

“I can imagine. I used to be afraid of dentists.”

“I wasn’t too fond of them either.”

“Really?”

“Oh absolutely not. I don’t like people judging me. It’s not like I was the best flosser in the world either.”

“With a girlfriend like Haruka?”

He laughed, “I remember in high school, she’d bring me those flossers to use after we ate. She also always had two toothbrushes in her purse, one for her, one for me.”

“Man, she really cared.”

“She also liked minty fresh kisses,” he said, before he could catch himself, “Sorry, TMI.” He stood, and got me a cup of water from the sink in Haruka’s room. She had a sink and plastic cups like you’d see at the dentist office, just in the main part of her room.

“You think any of us at school were blind to the fact that you’d go off somewhere and kiss at lunch?” I teased.

“It’s not like you and Joben were shy about it either,” he raised an eyebrow at me, “Plus the butt pinching.”

“Okay, that was fun, I’d play that game with anyone.”

“Sure, sure,” he looked at me condescendingly and walked toward the bed. I reached forward, and pinched his side, toward his bottom. He turned quickly, surprised.

“I said I’d play with anyone,” I said, opening and closing my hands like crab claws.

He had laughter on the corners of his cheeks, but caution on his face. He took a single step back, but I sprung forward to pinch him. He screeched laughter, and accidentally dropped his cup of water on me.

It landed in my lap, splashing across my crotch and legs, and landing on the ground with a slight plastic clatter. Gon pressed his hands to his mouth and said, “Shit I am  _ so _ sorry.”

I was sent into a fit of laughter, “It absolutely looks like I peed myself!”

“I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay Gon! Really!” I stood. The water spread in the middle of my legs, down toward my knees. He raised his eyebrows at me, and the stifled laughter in his throat. He cleared his throat, and said, “Would you like to borrow some shorts?”

“Uh, ha, sure,” i looked down, growing a tad embarrassed.

He threw me a pair of boxers, saying, “They’re clean, don’t worry.”

They were dark green, with a transparent yellow plaid over them, making parts of it meet in light green. I raised an eyebrow at him.

“I said they were clean.”

“You’re giving me your underwear? What would Haruka think?”

“I think she’d be more upset that I’ve switched to wearing hers,” he laughed. I didn’t. He said, “Kidding.”

I wasn’t sure that he was.

“It’s fine. If she were here she probably would’ve suggested it,” Gon said, “She’s smart. She’s not the jealous type.”

I didn’t think she was.

“Okay, fine, uh,” I looked around, “Turn around, so I can change, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”

Gon turned around, covered his eyes, and said, “You’re all good, I won’t look.”

“Good,” I changed out of my wet pants, and into his boxer shorts. They fit well on me, like slim fitting pajamas. I folded my pants over my arm and said, “I’m good- wait!”

Gon almost turned, but kept his back facing me, “What?”

I pinched his butt, and ran out the door.

“Sen!” He shouted in laughter.

I raced back to my own room, able to fall asleep for the night pretty soon thereafter.

**Monokuma Theatre**

Monokuma impales a marshmallow on a stick. He sets it by the fire, cautious as to not get it too close. He stares at it, contemplating how it browns by the heat of the flame.

“Everything is meeting its end, drawing towards its conclusion, and yet… I’m missing the weenies.”

**Students Remaining: 5**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, life caught up with me!!!!


	36. Chapter Six: The Sweet Kiss of Despair (PART IV)

It was three in the morning.

It was three in the goddamned morning.

“Someone has picked up the gun! Run for your lives!”

My entire body was sent into a shock. I froze, like something heavy sat on my chest. It felt like I was in a state of sleep paralysis.

My eyes stared at my ceiling in the dark. I didn’t know what to do.

_ Do I check who? Do I lock my door and pray I’m not the target? Do I give up? _

And then I remembered who slept in an unlocked room: Gon.

And I decided, I couldn’t let any more people die. Even if I had to die. Even if I had to be a martyr.

I sprung for the door, and opened it in a swift move of my arm. And then I heard something I’d never heard before: a gunshot, then two more

It wasn’t in the hall, no. The sound came from where the gun was presented to us. I swallowed and took a step forward. And another, and another, until my feet were walking toward the scene.

“Sen!” Oda barked from her porch, “Was that-?”

“S-Someone… Someone ha- Has the gun.”

“Someone just  _ shot  _ the gun,” she replied, trotting down the stairs of her porch. She took one look at me, and said with arched eyebrows and threats in her eyes, “You stay behind me, okay?”

What was she going to do if I didn’t? Kill me? But I nodded and together, we walked in the darkness. She put her arm behind her, giving me something to hold or see in the darkness, but instead it led me to see that she was trembling. Her steps were tiny, her fingers were shaking, and her head darted around cautiously. She was afraid she was going to be shot.

I placed my hand at her wrist, accidentally feeling her heart race in her pulse, and tugged her backwards. “Oda, you’re behind me, got that?” I said, making sure my voice had no room for argument in it, “Now.”

She looked at me, and visibly swallowed. She locked her arm with mine as we came closer to the stage.

But nobody stood there, weilding a gun.

We walked up the stairs and Oda flipped on the lights, and in front of the podium, at our feet, was Narumi, laying in a pool of her own blood. The gun was in her limp hand.

She was in her nightgown, the one we wore on the night we all stayed up. She seemed a little less broken than before, as if she had finally figured herself and her life in this game out. Instead, she was dead.

The world turned around me. She seemed fine the night before. She seemed like she had a plan for the future. She didn’t seem as hopeless as Zuzu or Mitsuo. Was it guilt that drove her to-

“Are you  _ fucking _ kidding me?” Oda swore, “Damn it. Damn it!” She combed her hand through her hair, “This is… This is how we’re gonna go, huh? All driven to suicide by fear and self-hatred?”

I knelt by her body. Her eyes were open and her glasses askew. I pulled them closed, just for her sake.

“Hey!” Shun called, “Don’t shoot, okay?” His hands were up in surrender, “We can talk about this-” His hair was in a black plastic bag, his eyes were wide and scared.

“We don’t have the gun,” Oda said, as if there wasn’t a body at her feet, “Narumi shot herself.”

“N-Narumi?” Shun ran upstairs, “Fuck, no, come on!”

He sat beside me, kneeling by her body, “I don’t… Did- Did she- I don’t-”

“Wait,” Oda said, “Check her pulse.”

I pressed my finger against her neck. She was dead. Completely and utterly dead. I told Oda.

“Why hasn’t a body discovery announcement gone off?”

“Maybe we all need to be present?” I questioned.

“Or cause Monokuma took away all the rules?” Shun asked.

Gon ran to us at the stage, “I heard a shot, and I got scared, but- Is everyone- Shit.”

“Yep,” Shun shook his head, “I guess Gurekuma’s getting her way.”

“What do you mean I’m getting my way?” Gurekuma asked. Her voice was low, calm. It wasn’t frantic or worried or doting as we’d heard it many times before.

“Shit Gurekuma! You can’t just do that!”

“Gurekuma, do you have any idea why the body discovery announcement hasn’t gone off?”

“Because the camp is shut down,” Gurekuma cleared her throat, “All the Monokumas have been disabled. There are no longer rules-”

“Why are you still running?” Oda asked.

“I’m an AI. I’m programmed to function without Monokuma or the mastermind’s assistance.”

“What? Wait! Does that mean-”

“Narumi Ikeda was the woman who orchestrated all of this, yes,” Gurekuma said, “I’m sorry it took until now for me to meet all of you children-”

“What do you mean?” Oda said under a furrowed brow, “We’ve met before.”

Gurekuma seemed to freeze. She stood on her two stubby legs, and said, “I was just powered on.”

“Monokuma must’ve wiped her when she told us to kill ourselves,” Gon said, biting his knuckle, “Remember, he took her away.”

“That sounds troubling, though I doubt that is the case. I was programmed to protect the students on this camping trip, and wiping me would do little to help.”

“Do you remember Haruka Inoue?” Gon asked, “Or Noboru Utagawa?”

She shook her head, “I’m unsure of any of your names. But I’m Gurekuma.”

“She’s been wiped,” Oda interjeted, “But that’s not important. What’s important is… Narumi was the mastermind, and she-”

“She killed herself,” Gon said, “She must’ve felt guilty watching us scramble to find clues. It’s weird to think that someone who could do this… has a conscience.”

I stood. That statement really hit me.

“Wait, how do we know if there’s no rules?” Oda said, “How do we know that’s true?”

“Uh, well... Someone destroy something,” I shrugged.

We all absently looked at one another, afraid to be the guinea pig to our half-brained plan. If we were correct, we broke something. If we weren’t, we were killed.

Shun finally swore and said, “Fine.”

He rolled his shoulders and hopped off stage, picking up a palm-sized rock from the ground. With a pitcher’s arm, he chucked it full force at the closet cabin: Ami’s. The window broke, the piercing noise made us all flinch. We waited in that cringe for monokuma to approach, but… Nothing. We were greeted with the dead silence of the night, the whir that the stage lights gave out, and the discomfort of feeling so betrayed by a friend, who turned out to be the mastermind.

“So… She offed herself,” Shun bit his lip as he climbed the stairs, “She was the person behind this whole thing?”

“I guess so,” Oda looked at her body, “Which was weird… I was really warming up to her.”

“She was being super helpful,” Gon said, “Finding out all that stuff on the pigtailed girl, and now…”

“She wasn’t helpful enough. We don’t have our memories. We don’t have a clue how to get out of here,” Oda crossed her arms, “Maybe she wanted to abandon us, and force us to live the rest of our lives here. If we don’t know how to get help, we can’t get out.”

I pointed at the hills, there was still smoke pluming from them, “Maybe that will get someone’s attention.” The fire I saw on the day after Mitsuo’s death was inching toward us, ever so slightly. “There’s gotta be helicopters trying to put it out. If we can find like- a flare or something-”

“Someone will be alerted that we’re here, and we’ll get picked up!” Shun looked excited, “Oh shit, okay… Where the fuck would something like a flare be?”

“Try the equipment room?” Gon shrugged, “Maybe we can split up and look in other places.”

“I’ll get the craft room then,” Shun said, “If you take the equipment room.”

Gon nodded, “How about you two?”

“I can go through the nurse’s tent,” Oda said, “I think there might be emergency supplies there.”

“I’ll, uh, try to check everywhere else, I guess,” I shrugged, “There isn’t really much else to look at in this area.”

“No, that’s smart. Cover all the small bases, while we take the big and cluttered areas,” Gon said, “Shout if you find anything.” Gon and Shun turned tail and walked away from Oda and I. Oda headed toward the nurse’s tent, but I grabbed her wrist.

“Wait,” I said.

“What?”

I looked left, then right, and swallowed, “Doesn’t something feel… Off to you?”

Her brow furrowed, and she leaned in, “No, but- I trust you. What’s up?”

“Can we… Can we investigate a little?” My hand let go of her wrist, but her pinky locked loosely with mine.

She looked me in the eye and said, “Don’t you wanna get out of here?”

“Trust me, I do, but… Something’s bothering me. I don’t know if… I think this might be staged.”

“What do you mean?”

I pulled her by the body.

“You checked her pulse yourself, she’s dead,” Oda said, pressing her finger to her jugular, confirming that she was still dead. She placed her ear by her mouth to listen for breathing. Nothing. She was absolutely a corpse.

“That’s not- I don’t think she killed herself,” I pointed to her abdomen, where the wound was, “I’ve never heard of suicide by shooting yourself in the chest.”

“I… I haven’t either. I thought it was symbolic. She did start a killing game, after all. She probably had a flair for the dramatic.”

I frowned at Oda, who looked concerned. I hooked by finger at the top lace of Narumi’s nightgown, and whispered, “Sorry Narumi.”

I pulled the lace down, exposing more of her bare chest, and said, “Here’s the other thing.”

There were two entry holes in her chest. Blood spattered the podium. Though the entry holes were close together, they were distinctly their own.

“How many gunshots did we hear?”

“Tw- No, three,” she answered.

“Two in her chest,” I stood, pretending I were Narumi, “And one… There.” I followed my point to the wall of the backstage, where I small, bloody dent was in the brick of the building, “There was a firefight. Which means-”

“There’s another gun somewhere around here,” Oda looked around, “Fuck… Fuck. Narumi might’ve uncovered something and that’s when they- I’m so sorry Narumi.”

“Oda, I need you to promise me something.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not the mastermind, are you?”

“No,” she licked her lips and offered me a dry swallow, “You saw me right after the shots happened. I couldn’t have been in two places at once and- That means it’s one of the boys!”

I looked at her, and she swore under her breath. She paused a moment, and then said, “We need to stop them from finding a flare. If they find the flare then they escape with us. They leave… They leave all of this shit behind, it gets burned by the fire, and Narumi gets framed as the psycho that started this!”

“That’s why we need to be fast. We need to find out who it is and we,” I took a deep gulp of air before leaning down and picking up the gun, “We kill him.”

Oda looked at me, first, with fear in her eyes, but the fear led into determination, and she held out her hand.

“What?”

“I’m gonna do it. I don’t want you to have blood on your hands- Besides, have you shot a gun before?”

“Wh- Have you?”

“No, but it can’t be much different from a bow and arrow,” she tried to lighten the situation, but there was still discomfort on her face. She grabbed the gun from me, and checked the chamber. She murmured, “Only one bullet shot. Looks like you’re completely right.”

I nodded at her, still uncomfortable with the fact that I wasn’t the one in possession of the weapon. I looked around: Narumi’s dead body was still on the floor in a puddle of blood. 

I didn’t know what to say to her. She didn’t deserve to be overlooked. She didn’t deserve to be another victim. But this time, she wasn’t the victim of the game. She was a direct victim of the mastermind. She was finally figuring everything out, and that got her killed.

“We’ll make sure everyone knows she’s a hero,” Oda said, “She’s getting the rest of us out of here. So what’s first?”

“We need hints. Do you want to-uh… We can check Gon and Shun’s rooms.”

“And Haruka’s. Gon was in there a lot.”

“Smart.”

“Do we split up?” I asked. I didn’t really want to, but it was good to cover as much ground as possible if we were to beat the boys before they found the flare.

“I suppose. I’ll take Shun’s room, you take Gon’s?”

“Deal.”

I ran into Gon’s room, and opened it to find it looking as pristine as I expected. The sheets were crisply folded, and the floor was neat and clean. There was a stack of books beside the bed, all with bookmarks in them. I checked the pages the books were on, but nothing significant popped out to me. I looked under the bed, in his drawers, and in his closet. There were no skeletons hiding in his closet, minus an actual osteopathic standing skeleton, but it was plaster, and quite frankly, it scared the shit out of me.

I checked every nook and cranny of his room. I even slipped my fingers into places that might contain secret doors, but nothing held true. Gon seemed clean. I walked out of his cabin to find Oda doing the same thing to Shun’s.

“Did you find anything?”

“No,” she sighed, “The guy is clean. Messy, but clean.”

“I didn’t find anything in Gon’s either.”

“Then to Haruka’s?”

“To Haruka’s,” she nodded at me.

We headed to Haruka’s room to find it in the same position as Gon’s room: neat, tidy, almost suspiciously so. The bed was unmade, because we were abruptly awoken, but other than that, the room was awfully clean.

“Check the bathroom, I’ll check the closet,” Oda instructed.

I nodded at her, and stuffed myself into the cramped cabin bathroom. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the fact that there were two toothbrushes at the sink. One was Haruka’s, untouched for a long while. I played with the faucet and shower, just in case, and then looked up. The window was slightly ajar.

“Hey Oda?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna check something outside,” I opened the door.

She looked at me, “What’d you find?”

“An open window.”

We walked around the outside of his cabin to the bathroom window, to find a bush. We all had bushes below out bathroom windows. Oda knelt down, and whispered, “Fuck.”

“What?”

She pulled out a small box of shotgun shells.

“Gon… Gon threw it out the window of his bathroom.”

“So he killed Narumi,” Oda swallowed, “That asshole’s probably still carrying, waiting to pick us off-”

“Wait, how did he ditch the ammo?”

“What?”

“He got there after us, but we would’ve seen him sneak back to his room. We were right in the corridor. There has to be some sort of secret passage that he could’ve taken.”

“But the only place that there could be secret passage is-”

“The main stage,” I said, remembering all the way back to my first day of hell, “And… And… Oda, do you know where we can find a Monokuma?”

“No idea,” she shrugged, “We can try the nurse’s tent. He might be roaming around there.”

“And how many bullets are left?”

Oda opened the revolver once more, “Five bullets.”

“I need to plant one right in Monokuma’s head.”

 

**Monokuma Theatre**

 

"̮̘͇ͬ̓ͭW͉h̜͎͕̝ͦ̊͋̔ͣ̏à̫̖̜͉ͩ́t͔?̝̝̀͑̆̚ ̖͙̦̙͋͂̉W̞̗̺̹̖̩̟͐̊͗ͥ̅h͇̩̼̺̟̥̅ͤ̋ḁ̮͓̮͚͐͗̇͊t̲̤̩̤͚̒ͨ̇͌͂ͨ̈'̯͎ͧͣ͂s͇̭͖̠͕͍͕͗̊ͧͬ ̭̦̩͚̍ͣͤͭ̽ͥ̋g̺̯̗̪͔͊̐̒ͬ̈ͧỗ̻ȉ̺͙͖̰̻̉n̪͚̯̏̔g̩̏̉̍ ̔ͨo͖̳̱̖n̬͎̗̄ͫ?͍̬̱͔͂̍ͩ"̳̲̳̗̬̫̃

Shut down? Y/N

Y

"̖͖̦̞̮̗ͥͥḠ̬̮͉͓̌̓͑͋o̰̺̖̙o̻͊ͪͣ̏̽ͣ͑ḓ͔̤̬̄ͩ͛̆͋b̻̪̥̓y͚̰̤͈̣ͫ͂ͧě͙̟͍̦̟̣ͬ͊̅ͫ͌̾!̠͍̣̖͓̄͊̈́ͪ"̦̺͑̀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY FOR THE LACK OF VICTIM ART  
> Im currently working and moving and yadda yadda so I have v little time!!! If your part of my discord I'll probably send over some sketches!!!  
> Til next update!


	37. Chapter Six: The Sweet Kiss of Despair (PART V)

Monokuma wasn’t impossible to find. We headed to the nurse’s tent, and there was one, just laying there. I waved my hand in front of his eyes. He didn’t flinch.

“Monokuma,” I said, “Shun broke down a door. Aren’t you gonna kill him?”

He was just a robotic shell.

“He’s absolutely shut down,” I said, leaning down to pick up his body.

A loud bang rang out, piercing my ears. Oda had shot Monokuma.

“What was that for?” I shouted.

“You said you wanted to shoot him!” Oda looked at me, “It was- For safety! What if he was faking it!”

I put my hands over my mouth and whispered, “What if the boys heard us?”

“Then they’ll hurry and find the flare.”

We were both silent for a moment, before I asked, “Did it feel good?”

“If I weren’t saving these for protection, the whole gun would be unloaded in that bear.”

It was good to hear- I think at this point, I’d have done the same.

He was lighter than I thought. Soft, and cuddly, like a teddy bear. Only… He was the mascot for our suffering.

I held his limp body close. Oda looked at me, almost distrusting, and asked, “What’re you doing with him?”

“I need to check something out. A suspicion I had on the first day of camp,” I semi-squeezed him. It was comforting, like a child holding a toy, to hold something soft like him after all this stress, “Come with me.”

Oda reluctantly followed me to the mainstage, where Narumi’s body still lay. I felt uneasy pushing her aside to get to the podium. I picked up Monokuma’s lifeless body and held it near the small door.

“Remember How Monokuma seemed to appear out of nowhere on our first day at camp? Like he was born from the podium while we all stood confused?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

I pressed his body against the mechanized lock, and the door that was so flush with the podium popped slightly open.

“I saw this on our second day. I wrote it off as nothing, but… It makes sense. There’s probably hundreds of them spread through camp, little entrances and exists that Monokuma can use to get around fast, and that means-”

“There’s a common ground. A lair for the mastermind.”

“And hopefully… It will lead to the mastermind’s room,” I nodded at her. I crouched into the elevator and looked around. It was as wide as the podium was, and a little less than three feet tall. I had to hold my knees to my chest to fit all the way in.

Oda looked at me, “You can’t go in there by yourself!”

“Oda, you can’t fit in here with me-”

“But what if Gon is down there!”

“He wouldn’t be! He wants an out, he wants to look for the flare, doesn’t he? He can get away from here innocent, can’t he?”

“Well, with maybe heavy interrogation… But, you’re right,” she sighed, “But what can I do for you up here?”

“Uh,” I licked my lips, then looked up at her, “Regroup. Lead them places you don’t think a flare will be. Give me time. Say I was acting shady. Say you think that it’s me-”

“Nobody’s gonna believe-”

“Oda, I need you to  _ convince _ them that you think it’s me,” I stared her in the eye. They were a beautiful gold that- even in the dead of night, seemed to shine.

“Convince…” She whispered, like the words tasted bad on her tongue, “Convince.”

She drew back the hammer of the pistol, and said, “Shoot me.”

“What?”

“Shoot me,” she handed me the gun, “The guys won’t expect it. If you shoot me, Gon will think you’ve gone insane, you’re not a threat to him as the mastermind… And Shun will think you’re the mastermind. I can put some of the blame on you while you gather evidence. You have to shoot me.”

“Just say I attacked you or something!”

“Just attacked is not good enough. You need to  _ hurt _ me for it to be convincing!” Oda yelled, “Just skim me and we make it out of here alive, and with that asshole who landed us here in  _ prison _ .”

“Oda, I’m not-”

And then… A bang. Her blood spattered backwards, and a heavy gash was left in her arm. She let out a bloodcurdling belt of a scream. It was heavy and gutteral and scarring. She threw me the gun, and as tears leaked from her eyes, she said, “Find  _ evidence _ .”

“Shun! Gon! Help!” She wailed, kicking the door of the elevator closed. The barrel of the gun was impossibly hot. It burned the palm of my hand, but I held it, screaming and crying thinking about the pain Oda was suffering in the name of being  _ convincing _ .

Nobody could hear me underground. Or at least I hoped.

The elevator stopped, and the door popped open again. I pushed myself out and coughed out sobs on the floor. I was in a dark hallway, with little doors all over: stage, nurse, library, pool, chapel, backstage, firepit, treehouse, room.

They were all elevators that led somewhere.

I clutched the gun, now only armed with three bullets, and headed toward the door at the end of the hall. It was dark, the only light was the mechanized locks, the nameplates of the elevators, and a crack of light under the door to, hopefully, freedom.

My steps were uneasy, uncoordinated, unwilling to let this game go on any longer. Soon thereafter, I was running, and I burst through that door, to find a well lit room, plain as any other, with one futuristic looking pod, a large computer with a tower that had all sorts of modems and blinking pieces of technology, and a cot. A whiteboard had labels  _ Monokuma 1 _ through  _ Monokuma 6 _ , with  _ Monokuma 2 _ completely stricken though.

_ He must’ve been the one that Cho destroyed _ … I wasn’t sure if I whispered it. I was alone. My thoughts could be louder than my screams.

I turned on the monitor, only for it to display a screen that said  _ offline _ . I wiggled the mouse and tapped at the spacebar, but my knowledge of computers was at its limit. My fingers fluttered above the keys of the keyboard, before landing on control, alt, delete.

_ SYSTEM RESUME Y/N? _

My eyes lit up, and I quickly hit Y. The computer took a few minutes, but born from the black offline screen was a picture of the pigtailed girl, the ultimate despair. She sat, seductive and coercing, her long acrylic nail pulling down her pouty lip. Her shirt was low-cut, showing off her body in ways I was almost jealous of. Her skirt was short, but the way her leg was bent blocked her from showing anymore of her body. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and on it was a clip that looked like an onion.

This woman… The one who started the killing games… She was someone’s sexy computer background. I felt as if I was going to be sick. I checked the files for something, anything, but there was no pointing to who the computer belonged to.

In the bottom right corner of the computer, the computer indicated that it was connected to the internet via an ethernet cable. When I hovered over the icon, it wrote  _ disconnected _ . I moved the mouse to hover over the icon I did not recognize: a box with three lines sticking up out of it. When I hovered over that, it said  _ operating _ .

I clicked it.

A window popped up.

_ Jammer, operating. Internet, disconnected. Wifi, undiscoverable. _

I audibly gasped.

“A jammer, fuck, how do I turn you off?”

I clicked the drop-down menu for the jammer, and opted to turn it off. I reconnected the internet, and made the computer a hot-spot.

It took forty seconds for me to hear a multitude of chimes from a drawer. They seemed endless, and inpouring of texts and missed calls came into that drawer. I pulled it open, and found sixteen cell phones, all on the verge of powering down.

I picked up the phone at the top. I looked through the missed calls and texts, just to see if I could tell who’s phone it was.

A text struck a chord with me.

_ I tune in every night just to see if you’re alive. I’m glad you still are. We’ll come get you Oda, I swear to god, even if we have to search every square inch of the earth. _

It was Oda’s phone. She was missed.

I slid to unlock it, but it had a passcode. I slipped her phone into my waistband; it would be nice to give back to her.

I picked up the next phone. The most recent text:

_ I swear to God Azumamaru, if you’re doing what I think you’re doing… _

It had a passcode as well.

I picked up another. It was at 15%. The background was a magazine cover of Shun holding scissors like brass knuckles. I tried to unlock it, but instead of a passcode, his had a password.

I slipped his phone beside Oda’s. 

I picked up another, and I was greeted with… my face.

A picture of me, snorting laughter, with a hand shoving a dandelion into my nose. I was wearing a sunhat. This phone was missing fourteen calls and thirty texts.

I slid to unlock it.

It unlocked without a passcode, and the background… the background was... 

My wedding day.

It was Joben Suzuki’s phone, a picture of he and I in wedding attire, holding each other.

“Joben was… particular… Professional. He’s got to have the number of- Fuck! What’re those kids names?”

There I looked around his contacts. His phone was at 2%.

_ Aiko Masahiro? _

No.

_ Cho Kakawa? _

Fuck.

_ Hideyo Tane? _

No.

_ Kyoko Kirigiri? _

Yes.

I clicked call, and it rang for one moment, before she answered, “ _ Joben _ ?”

“This is S-Sen Oshiro! I- I snuck into the lair of th-the mastermind, and I successfully unjammed the jammer, and- Help us, fuck, help us!”

“Sen! Stay on the line,  _ Makoto! _ ” Her voice called, “Did you find anything?”

“No, I can’t find anything…” I was sobbing. I was talking to someone… Someone who was safe, “I just want to get out. Please Kyoko… Help us.”

“I’m getting my crew to connect to your sig-”

And then the call dropped. His phone died.

I couldn’t hold in my tears. I felt so close. So, so close, only to be killed by something as stupid as a dead cellphone. I separated the drawer into phones that were dead, and alive.

Joben… my apparent husband… was the only one kind enough to leave me an unlocked phone.

And then I picked up a plain phone with a blue case. It’s battery at 12%. It wasn’t missing as many calls or texts.

I swiped it.

It was Mitsuo’s phone. His background was a photo of a funny looking dog holding a ball, and he was holding that dog. I searched for something, a member of the future foundation, but I didn’t recognize any of the names… until.

_ Narumi. _

_ Narumi’s boss (for emergencies). _

I clicked call.

“Is this Sen?” Was the answering voice.

“Who is this?”

“My name is Makoto Naegi,” his voice was sweet. He was the kid that embodied hope… And, well, he became my hope too, “What percent is this cell phone at?”

“Twelve,” I huffed, “Makoto, do you think you can save us? We don’t know who the mastermind is, but-”

“Mrs. Suzuki, I promise, we’re fighting with all we got to locate you. Your signal is still fuzzy, but- Kyoko!”

I heard a cheer.

“The fire,” Kyoko’s voice said, and then yelled into the phone, “Is there a fire-”

“Yes, there’s a fire, there are helicopters flying overhead, and-”

“You’re in Alaska-”

“Alaska? Like… The United States?”

“We’ll be there in a few hours-”

“Hours? We need to get out of here  _ now _ . Someone’s been  _ shot _ , Narumi is  _ dead. _ I think he killed-”

“N-Narumi is dead? The cameras went offline about an hour ago-”

“What was on the feed?”

“I- I can ask,” there was a murmur, “Oda was walking toward the mess hall. That’s the only person we have on record as awake during that time.”

“Oda… She- But she was asleep, just like me!”

“She might’ve went to get a snack. This isn’t concrete-”

“Oda isn’t the mastermind!” I shouted into the phone, “How do you guys not know  _ who  _ it is! WE were taken! If we’re members of the future foundation why wouldn’t you know that-”

“We don’t know much beyond the fact that this vacation was organized by a  _ few  _ of you. Including you and your husband, Sen,” Kyoko said pointedly, “I’ve got an idea on who of you it could be, but-”

“Who?” I barked into the phone. I wasn’t in the mood for suspense, I only wanted to know who I could trust.

“I’m afraid that’s classified information-”

“What Kyoko is trying to say is,” Makoto interrupted, softening Kirigiri’s tendency to be slightly cold, “in a high stress situation, where you are accompanied by a deadly weapon, we don’t really want to point fingers without a proper trial.”

“There are  _ lives _ at stake!”

“We will be there to safe the four of you, thanks to your smart thinking Sen. And only then can we have a trial that doesn’t support Monokuma’s bloodthirsty game,” Makoto said. I could feel a smile in his voice, but I didn’t feel like smiling.

“I lost my best friend, and my boyf-  _ husband _ , and… I just wanna go home. Please-”

“Mr. Naegi, Miss Kirigiri, the jet-”

“We’ll be right there, thank you Mr. Hideki,” Kyoko whispered something to Makoto. It was hushed, and breathy.

“Mrs. Suzuki, I’m afraid we need to hang up the phone-”

“No, don't go!”

“You were responsible for saving us when we were in peril-”

“Don’t hang up the phone!”

“Let us save you, Sen.”

“But can’t someone stay-”

“You’re going to be okay Sen,” I could tell Makoto didn’t want to go, but he said his goodbye, or rather, his see-you-soon.

“I’m  _ scared _ ,” I wailed. I think they heard me, before they hung up. But I couldn’t help it. I said it again and again, filling my body with no comfort, just the repetition of that thought. I was terrified to lose anymore. I was terrified to die. 

I wouldn’t die in vain, though, if I stopped the mastermind.

Sudden determination filled my bones, and pumped through my veins. I stood, and slammed my hands on the keyboard. It didn’t do anything. The computer’s internet history had been cleared. It was a plain computer, but one of the desktop shortcuts on the face of the ultimate despair was labeled  _ FFMemoryTech.exe. _

I clicked it, and the pod behind me beeped. On the computer screen were sixteen first names. All of us. They were not clickable.

I approached the pod. It had a lock, and a thick wire that connected to the computer. There was a green button on the side that said  _ start.  _ I pressed my palm against it, and the computer made a slight beep.

I turned to face the computer, the list of names now clickable. I clicked my name.

My card popped up.

_ Sen Suzuki: Future Foundation Branch 13 _

_Sex: F_ _Age: 28_ _Height: 170 cm_ _Blood Type: A_

I looked at my photo. I was a nearly thrity-year old woman. I looked more accurate to myself than my yearbook photos did. I looked professional, focused, okay with holding the future in my hands.

I clicked the back button.

My mouse hovered over Joben’s name with a heavy heart. I didn’t know if I could look at his picture. I scrolled to Shun.

_ Shun Nishimura: Future Foundation - Towa City _

_Sex: M_ _Age: 29_ _Height: 183 cm_ _Blood Type: B_

I didn’t know what Towa City was… Or what that meant. It didn’t give me any clues.

Next was Gon.

_ Gon Uramoto: Future Foundation Branch 13 _

_Sex: M_ _Age: 28_ _Height: 193 cm_ _Blood Type: A_

Finally, I clicked Oda.

_ Oda Wilson: Future Foundation - International - Canadian Branch _

_Sex: F_ _Age: 29_ _Height: 158 cm_ _Blood Type: AB_

My heart stopped.

_ Canadian Branch _ .

We were in Alaska, bordering Canada.

“B-But Oda shot herself…”

I stopped dead in my tracks.

“To make me look like the mastermind.”

It made sense. While I was down looking for clues, she could get the flare, shoot it, and get out out. She put me in the belly of the beast, hoping she could get out without us.

“Fuck… Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,  _ fuck! _ _ ”  _ It was all that could come out of my throat. I shut down the computer and swore my heart out. I didn’t know what else to do.

“The elevators!” I scrambled up, “I gotta, I gotta-” I became acutely aware of the gun on the desk.

I had to make a decision- Kill Oda, or let her hurt more people

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI this is almost over. Sorry for the lack of update, I'm in the midst of moving out of my house!  
> Check out the discord in the description for more details with the updates!!


	38. Chapter Six: The Sweet Kiss of Despair (PART VI)

I checked all the names of the elevators, and one caught my eye completely:  _ home _ .

I pressed the body of the monokuma against it. It didn’t green light. I pressed it again and again, but it didn’t. Eventually, I turned to use another elevator, but then it beeped, and lit in a green light. The door popped open.

_ Oda’s phone. _

The elevator seemed to jam against something, and then stop. My stomach lurched when I realized I was stuck, but the fear only lasted a moment.

“ _ Course blocked. Rerouting to next most popular room _ ,” said Gurekuma’s voice from the walls. If she was the AI the mastermind had collected or created, then of course, her voice or Monokuma’s voice would be that of the island. It almost chilled me. Then the elevator descended slightly, and moved omnidirectionally. I’d never felt an elevator do anything like it. I held the pistol, afraid at what the second most popular room of the mastermind was. It could be anywhere, it could even be right into a trap that Oda planned for me all along. My finger grazed the trigger, and waited for the elevator to lift, then stop.

When the door opened, I was face-to-face with the red curtain of the dressing room backstage. I set down Monokuma’s body gently, and peeked out from behind the curtain. The room was empty.

I was trembling, walking toward the door of the backstage, because I knew what was definitely going to be on the other side: Narumi’s unmoved body.

I wished she’d told us what she knew. I wished she didn’t try to solve the problem on her own. I wished that us innocent players were all safe; all of us, all the way to the very beginning. I wished that Oda didn’t damn us all like this. And I wished I never trusted her.

The sound of crunching paper alerted me in the darkness. I looked below my foot, and picked up a teen fashion magazine.

“Must’ve fallen off the wall,” I whispered to myself. I used Shun’s phone to shine a light on the date of the publication. It was well after I’d graduated Hope’s Peak. It must’ve been somewhat recently. I slipped it under my arm, and kept walking.

I was correct about Narumi’s body being there, but outside, accompanying Narumi’s body, were my friends, the survivors- one of them, the mastermind.

“Sen! Oh thank God,” Oda jutted forward, but Shun grabbed her unharmed arm.

“What the fuck kinda Stockholm-”

I held the gun, “Hands in the air.”

“Sen, I-” Oda began. Her arm was still bleeding, bleeding through the bandages provided for her by, assumingly, the Nurse’s tent.

“I said  _ hands up _ !” I pointed the gun right at her, “All of you!”

Her eyes went wide, as if she didn’t know what the fuck I was talking about. But she knew. She had to have known.

The three of them threw their hands in the air, knowing the look of deadpan on my face.

“What the fuck is going on?” Shun asked.

“I don’t fucking know, but-”

“Who has the flare?”

“I do,” Gon said.

“Give it to me,” I barked.

“Sen, you can’t be,” Gon’s voice shook, “I don’t believe this!”

“I’m not the mastermind!” I clarified, “Now give me the flare!”

“Bullshit!” Shun shouted, “You  _ shot  _ Oda!”

“I shot myself!” Oda’s voice returned to it’s emotionless husk, “To buy Sen time!”

“To  _ frame  _ me as the mastermind!” I pointed the gun at her again, “You could’ve just said we split up. Why were you so  _ insistent _ on having evidence against me?”

“Because I’m a horrible liar,” she said, “I needed them to believe me.”

“Because you wanted to get out scot free! You wanted to blame me!” I was crying. Smoke rose as the sun did the same. I didn’t know what time it was where we were. It didn’t feel as cold as Alaska was supposed to feel. I guess I’d never been.

“Why the hell would I do that to you!”

“Because you’re insane?”

“Is that all you have to go off of?” Gon asked, “Because if that’s it, them I’m firing the flare-”

“Don’t you fucking  _ dare _ ,” I pointed the gun at him.

“No! You’re going to have to kill me if you want it!” Gon said, “I know Sen Oshiro, and she wouldn’t hurt her friend!”

“Then I don’t have to keep my hands up,” Shun lowered his hands, and shot at the ground in front of him.

_ Two more bullets _ .

“No putting your hands down!” I said, “One of you has a gun and- I have to kill you first!”

“You don’t  _ have _ to kill anyone,” Gon said, “We’ll let the authorities take care-”

“We  _ are  _ the authorities!” I said, “Sen Suzuki, Future Foundation branch thirteen. Gon Uramoto, Future Foundation branch thirteen,” I pointed the gun at Shun, “Shun Nishimura, Future Foundation Towa City Branch,” and lastly, Oda, “Oda Wilson, Future Foundation International… Canadian branch.”

“Canadian?”

“Oda’s been Canadian this whole time?” Shun laughed.

“And guess where we are,” my voice faltered.

“Where?” Oda asked.

“Alaska.”

Gon and Shun looked at her. Her arm bled toward her armpit with her hands in the air.

“This doesn’t look good for you,” Gon stammered, “But it’s not concrete-”

“Nothing is concrete, but at this point, we need to look at the facts and make a decision based off of that. We can’t burn to death or let her go free!”

“But you’re not judge, jury, and executioner!”

“But if we’re in Alaska, who else would know the northern area enough that-” Shun began.

“If I lived in Canada, why wouldn’t I just choose Canada?” Oda asked.

“Because you’d look too obvious!” Shun’s hands shook.

“Sen, I get why you suspect me, but do you really think that I would do this?” She looked hurt. I couldn’t trust it, “We’re friends.”

“I- I know we are, but… Fuck,” I didn’t know what else to say. I was choked up, but my head was screaming. All that came out was a shaky, “It’s the only thing that makes sense…”

“What about the shells outside of Gon’s room?”

“What?” Gon asked.

I pointed the gun at him, “There was a bullet of shells outside your open bathroom window. Did you throw the evidence out?”

“Wh- I open the bathroom window to let the air out after I shower! Or else there’s a bunch of condensation and it drips down later! I didn’t- Shells?”

“Yes, a box of shells!”

“B-But the gun is a revolver-”

“And there were  _ bullets _ outside your window!” I shouted. My palms were sweating.

“Shells only go to shotguns!” Gon shouted equally as loud. I hadn’t seen him so angry, “Sen! This is not your call to make! Just  _ put  _ the gun  _ down _ .”

“ _ Shut up _ !” I shook, “You’re a suspect too Gon!”

“I’m gonna shoot the flare!” Gon pushed his hand into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a little orange gun, capable of saving our lives. He held it up to the sky and looked at me with horribly nervous eyes, “Don’t hurt me Sen, this is just for the best-”

“The best is letting  _ one of you _ free! Meaning, they can set up all over again, somewhere else, hurting more people, good people,  _ innocent  _ people! People like- Like Joben, and Mitsuo, and- And Haruka!”

“Haruka wasn’t innocent?” Shun furrowed his brow, “Or did you forget that she  _ killed  _ Afu! And Gon  _ mutilated _ a body! I’d believe Gon is the mastermind, that fucking psycho would’ve killed us all to get his tail away.”

“She was innocent! She was just put in this situation! Kill or be killed!” His lower lip shook, “S-Sen you’re right, innocent people don’t belong here.”

“Haruka killed and was killed,” Shun dug into him, “Shoot the fucking flare!”

“Shut up, Shun!” Oda spat, “If he shoots the flare we’re- Wait,  _ you’re  _ surprisingly clean!”

I pointed the gun at Shun.

“What the fuck?” Shun looked at me, “Are you shitting me? I’m a suspect because I have nothing against me?”

“As in, you could’ve set everything up against everyone but yourself!”

“That’s too easy! Gon could’ve set everything up against everyone, but forgot about the shells!”

“The shells were obviously planted,” Oda said, “Like Gon said, they’re shotgun shells!”

“You’re not making any sense, way to pin the blame on me to make you look less suspicious!” Shun rolled his eyes, “It’s not like I could have even planted the shells at Haruka’s room. I came straight from my own room to you guys. You could  _ see  _ that.”

“B-But, the elevators,” I said.

“What elevators?” Shun asked.

“There’ a complex system of omnidirectional elevators underground. They lead to the masterminds lair, and all over camp. There’s a door in that podium,” I pointed to it with my free hand, “And one in backstage.”

“Where you spent a lot of time,” Oda said, “But you really… could be going to the lair.”

“What the  _ fuck _ ? Are you guys  _ high _ ? Everyone went back stage!”

“Everyone went backstage to find you Shun.”

“And you guys are just ignoring the fact that Oda and Gon actually have shit against them?” Shun asked, “Just because I am a  _ hairdresser _ ? And went where there was  _ hairdressing tools?” _

“The only thing Sen has against me is that I shot myself to buy us time, and we’re in Alaska-”

“How the fuck would Sen even know we are in Alaska?” Shun grimaced, “Is she just making shit up to pit us against each other! She doesn’t want us to shoot the flare because she wants us all to burn alive!”

“I spoke to Future Foundation,” I announced, “I turned off the blocker that the mastermind set up, and we were in Alaska.”

“It’s not even  _ cold _ ,” Shun said, “Are you  _ sure _ \- wait, how did you even call? We don’t have cell phones.”

“I  _ found _ our cell phones. All sixteen of them,” I said, throwing Oda’s phone on the floor, then Shun’s.

Shun gasped, “My  _ phone! _ ” He lurched forward, but I pointed the gun at him again. He dropped to the floor and picked it up. It was important to him.

And then… I remembered.

It was important to him- He always had it on him. He slept with it on his person. He was the only person who had their phone on the first day of camp, so why would it be confiscated from him. Or how. He was on his knees picking his phone up in front of me, and my body seemed to move on it’s own. I pressed the gun to his forehead and said, “Do you remember when we first met?”

“Sen! What the fuck? I just wanted to see if my mom-”

“Your mom? I thought your mom wasn’t in your life? Just a sad-haired dad-”

“Sorry you don’t listen to me but-”

“Answer the question, Shun,” My finger grazed the trigger. I swallowed hard.

“I don’t remember, fuck dude! That was so long ago!”

“You’ve got a gun to your head, you’re cornered Shun. Answer. The. Question.”

“Y-You were,” he stammered, “You… You saw me outside the dining hall. And we talked-”

“About what?”

“Our talents.”

“No,” I said, “We talked about our  _ phones _ .”

“Your phones?” Gon asked.

“He had his phone on him. He said he never lost sight of it. He slept with it on hand. Why would it be in the mastermind’s lair if he never let it go?”

“Shoot him,” Oda said.

“W-What?” Gon stammered, “No! We’ll just present the evidence to whoever picks us up! We’ll just-”

“You can’t let this slippery son of a bitch get out of here! He’s killed  _ twelve _ people, Gon!”

“Th- Th- Thi-” Shun stammered, on his knees, “The- This…”

“What?” I looked down at him. His head popped up at me, and he stared me straight in the eye. And the sight was familiar. I actually cringed backwards slightly. Horribly grey, spiraling hopelessness filled his eyes.

“Thi- This  _ despair! _ ” He looked up at me with a smile, “It’s true, unadulterated, pure, white as virgin snow fucking  _ despair! _ Oh are you gonna shoot me Sen? Put the bullet in my brain!”

“What the-”

“Shoot him!”

“Do you think she felt this way?” He crawled on his knees toward me, “When that piece of shit cornered her into revealing herself? Do you think she felt cornered, scared? Absolutely deliciously helpless?”

“What the fuck is going on?” Oda looked at Gon, and the both of them put down their arms.

“My heart is  _ pounding  _ thinking about her stammering in front of those kids, her peers, sweating, writhing, drooling, lurching,” he continued his crawl.

“G-Get away from me!” I stammered.

“It probably made her sweat… It made life… worth it! I feel the same way! I’m walking in her holy footsteps!”

“The Ultimate Despair?” Oda asked.

He looked at her and nodded. She looked disgusted.

“S-So you did this to walk in her footsteps?”

“Every step I take, I become more and more like her. It’s divine. I’m becoming a God, a woman who transcends life! And even after our love, after her death, I can spread her message! Despair is the only way!”

“Say her name!”

“Say her name? Why would I say her name when you can read about her in the papers, and on the news?” He drooled, “If you don’t know her, then you don’t know life. You pieces of shit hanging onto hope as if it is tangible. You know that the only thing hope can end in is despair! It’s natural. Like like and death, yin and yang, salt and vinegar!”

“Salt and vinegar?” Oda looked disgusted.

“She was the love of my life! I’d kill everyone here for her-”

“Isn’t she dead though?” I asked.

“Yes!” His hands caressed his face, “She’s so fucking dead! Are you gonna kill me Sen? So I can die just like her?” They slipped down his neck, and against his chest. He breathed, huffing and heavy, and let his hands go down lower, into the band of his jeans.

“Wha-?” I recoiled, taking the gun off his head. I stepped backwards and took my finger off the trigger.

I think he was waiting for that: my distraction, my finger off the trigger and the gun pointed away from his brain, my guard to be down.

A loud blast rang out. Searing pain burned in my abdomen. I hadn’t realized that I dropped to my knees and then to the floor.

The gun that killed Narumi was at the front of his trousers.

Shun was screaming laughter, “Of fucking course you wouldn’t, because I can do anything she did, and better! I can get out of the killing game with just one champion: me! You wanna know why?” He ripped off the shower cap to reveal his new hair. It was short, spiky, and peach. He turned and pointed his gun at Oda and Gon, “Because I’m the male  _ Junko Enoshima _ !”

 

I passed out after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more updates, I think!


	39. Chapter Six: The Sweet Kiss of Despair (PART VII)

_ “Are you really wearing those shoes?” Joben said, looking down at my feet. _

_ “What?” I asked, “It’s not like we’re hiking the minute we get off the plane.” _

_ “We’re not,” he said, “I thought you’d like to make a better impression, is all.” _

_ “Impression?” I scoffed, “I’ve seen… Most of them since. It’s not like everyone’s going to go ‘Wow, you’ve changed so much in the few weeks it’s been since we last saw each other!’” _

_ “No,” he hoisted his suitcase to stand upright, “It’s more like, ‘I can vacation while looking better than you’.” _

_ “But isn’t vacation all about relaxing? Slipping on your comfy shoes and chilling out?” _

_ He scoffed, “Do you think anyone can actually vacation? I mean, I bet it took years for Shun to convince Oda to leave Machiko’s side for more than a day. And for Gon to take a break, you’d have to break his legs. And Narumi? She’s been so far up the headmaster’s ass, that I never thought she’d see daylight again.” _

_ “I think that’s why Shun organized all of this,” I smiled at him, “It’s a chance to catch up. Go back to the old days, like our first year.” _

_ “The old days,” he sighed, not exactly dreamily, “Do you, uh, think… you-know-who is coming?” _

_ “Be nice,” I looked at him a long moment, and then said, “I think it’s everyone.” _

_ “I haven’t seen Mitsuo in years… since… Well,” he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, kissing the back of my neck, “We’ve known a few characters in our time.” _

_ “A few?” I placed my hand on his joined hands, and looked back at him, “I’d say I know fifteen.” _

_ “Me included?” He asked. _

_ “You included.” _

_ “Senshine, I’ll show you char- Oh,” he paused, fishing his phone from his pocket, “The cab is here.” _

_ Joben and I arrived at the airport in a timely manner. Waiting for us in our meeting spot was Ami and Cho. The first thing Cho said to me was, “Are you really wearing those shoes?” Before she gave me an amicable kiss on the cheek. _

_ She looked at Joben and said, “Joben, good to see you!” _

_ “Ami, Cho, you’re looking lovely, as always,” he offered hugs. _

_ “God, you’re such a prat,” Ami rolled her eyes, “Hey, Sen, how’s everything been?” _

_ “Hectic! You know, it’s Spring and all…” I shrugged, “But, well, what about you?” _

_ “Not bad, not bad,” she said, “I’m excited to fly.” _

_ “Oh, has it been awhile?” I asked, “Joben just took a flight to England and back. He’s been in and out with all the shit he’s had to do in records.” _

_ “Boo,” she stuck her thumbs down out. _

_ A voice excitedly caught our attention. More people came, meaning more hugs came. And then a few more. And more. After awhile, I was surrounded by amicable voices and faces. _

_ Shun arrived, detailing our exotic cabinscape in Alaska. There were going to be hot springs, couples massages, lush scenery, a lake, and great hiking spots. We were all very excited to be a class once again. _

_ He looked amongst the crowd, biting his lip, “Is Mitsuo not here yet?” _

_ “I didn’t know he was even coming,” Hibiki said with a frown. _

_ Zuzu popped out his single earbud, “I mean, it’s a class trip, the dude was a part-” _

_ “Hardly,” Noboru interrupted, “He had the scandal and then was out. If he doesn’t show it wouldn’t make much of a difference.” _

_ “The guy’s kinda a wallflower anyways,” Afu said, texting on her phone, “Can we go? When’s the plane take off?” _

_ “Don’t be mean, guys, we can wait just a bit longer for him,” I said, looking back and forth between eyes. Narumi’s smiled at me. _

_ “Hey, don’t be too nice to him,” Joben said, “It might give him the wrong idea.” _

_ “No it won’t, jesus, it was a high school crush-” _

_ “Yeah, but the dude had the hots for you,” Ginko said, “It might reignite when he sees this well grown ass.” She looked me up and down, and suddenly I was uncomfortable. _

_ “You know, high school crushes can be serious, too,” Cho held hands with Ami. They were recently engaged. _

_ “Well, Narumi would know, is he talking to anyone?” Oda asked. _

_ “I can’t say, it’s confidential,” she said, but you could tell that was a no. _

_ “Why did you even invite him, dude, it’s just gonna be awkward,” Ginko nudged Shun, he shook his head. _

_ “It’s gotta be like old times! Old times got a little awkward, but-” _

_ “Sure did,” a voice outside our crowd said. We all turned. Mitsuo stood, a little more grown, a little more confident in himself, a little more put together. He gave a little wave, “Hey guys.” _

_ “Mitsuo!” My husband was the first to speak, “Pleasure to see you again.” _

_ “Joben,” he nodded, and shook his hand. _

_ “Mit-soo-oh! In the house!” Zuzu gave him a hug, “How you been bro?” _

_ He smiled, looking a little more secure in himself. It was nice to see. _

_ “Chill, everyone’s here, if we get on our jet we can there before sunset,” Shun patted Mitsuo’s shoulder. _

_ The plane ride was exciting! Endless ocean, which was kinda scary, but it was over before we knew it. A rented bus took us from the airport to the camp. We unloaded from the bus, the lot of us, and looked at the campground. It wasn’t the resort we were expecting, in fact… it looked like an abandoned summer camp. _

_ “Shun… What the fuck?” Ginko looked at him, “I thought this was gonna be like- A staffed nice ass place with cabins and shit… This looks like- I dunno, shit.” _

_ “Sure does,” Shun smiled, “You excited to live the rest of your guys’ lives here?” _

_ “Funny,” Takumi said, “Are we gonna get back on the bus and you’re gonna take us somewhere else?” _

_ “Oh, fuck no,” Shun reached into his carry on, “Actually… Sorry, bro, nothing personal.” He looked up at the bus driver, and shot him, directly in the head. _

_ Haruka screamed. I didn’t even know what to feel- It felt like a dream, a bad dream. _

_ “Consider this a kidnapping,” Shun laughed, “Hands up, or you’ll end up like Mr. Driver-Guy here.” _

_ “Wh- What the fuck?” _

_ “I said hands up!” _

_ Some of our hands shot up, some slowly raised. _

_ “Alright, school children, single file,” he waved the gun, “Or I get trigger happy.” _

_ We all looked at one another. Joben stepped in front of me, shielding me from any fire. He was shaking. _

_ “Now!” He roared. We lined up. At the front was Oda, and at the back was Mitsuo, standing behind me. _

_ “Alrighty, I’m gonna be the caboose, I’ll tell you where to march,” he instructed, “Any of you stray from the line, you’re gonna end up dead.” _

_ “What in God’s name is this for?” Noboru asked, “What, do you want cash? Is this a ransom?” _

_ “I thought we were friends!” Ginko shrieked. _

_ “Ha, fuck, I can’t believe you all cleared me for this shit,” he laughed, “You’ll see, and you’re gonna love it.” _

_ “I’m- I’m scared,” I whispered to Joben. He reached his aired hand back and clasped mine. _

_ “Hey Suzukis, Uramotos,” Shun shouted toward Haruka and Gon, who were toward the front of the line, “Men, trade places.” _

_ “W-What? No! Why would you make them- What? I need Gon!” _

_ “Holy shit, does the gun not scare you or something? I said switch!” _

_ Joben let go of my hand, and walked toward Gon. Gon then moved, and walked toward me. _

_ “Alright, better. Now march.” _

_ He marched us through what looked like a medical tent. A modified Monokuma unit watched us as we descended the stairs. _

_ Below earth we were in this tiny basement lair. We stood, side by side. _

_ “Gurekuma, come,” Shun demanded. It scurried behind. _

_ “Bind their hands behind their backs.” _

_ It did as he said, with zip ties. It’s hands were surprisingly gentle, but forceful against struggle. _

_ “After the kids go in the pods, they will be in a stasis for five minutes. Can you take each of them to their cabins? You can go through my elevator, it’s fastest.” _

_ “O-Of course! Do I just put them in bed?” _

_ “Yeah, they should sleep for the next couple of hours. They’ll probably awaken in the morning. This Future Foundation wiping stuff is heavy duty-” _

_ “You’re using Future Foundation tech? How did you even get clearance to take it?” Joben barked. _

_ “Hey, pretty boy, shut up,” Shun walked up to him. He leaned the gun under his chin. _

_ I began to shake uncontrollably. I felt a nudge at my shoulder. Mitsuo whispered, “It’s gonna be okay, he probably just wants money or something, we’ll get out of here fast, okay Sen?” _

_ I whimpered an okay. _

_ “I didn’t need clearance to take any tech, because I was put on the repair team after Towa City was cleaned up,” Shun grazed Joben’s adam’s apple with the barrel of the pistol, “‘Hey, this shit’s broken, can I take it to repair?’, ‘Oh yeah, of course, thanks Shun!’ It was easy.” _

_ “Get that weapon out of my face,” Joben said through clenched teeth. _

_ “Oh you, I’m gonna make you forget a whole lot more than High School… What would you do if you forgot you even had feelings? What if you were the same little shit filled with nothing but contempt? What if you couldn’t even remember the love you feel for your own wife?” _

_ “Shun! Please! Leave him alone!” I shouted. He looked at me with challenging eyes. _

_ “Sen don’t-” Mitsuo said. _

_ “Do I hear a volunteer?” Shun laughed, walking slowly toward us, “Oh Sen Suzuki, your talent is useless enough to wipe you good. Do you wanna forget why you even came to Hope’s peak?” _

_ Mitsuo took a step forward, “Shun, don’t take your anger out on her, she’s just scared.” _

_ “Oh the clown’s preaching to me! And all because he never got to fuck her! Are you still harboring this crush, Mitsuo? Even after ten years? Do you look at her face online and wish she took your last name? Or do you ask Narumi for photos? ‘Oh Narumi, I’m depressed, please send me more pictures of Sen at her desk… Oh Narumi, I need a new picture I feel so alone… Oh Narumi-’ Ergh!” _

_ Mitsuo spit in his face. _

_ Shun wiped it away with his thumb, and paused a moment. “God damn,” he whispered, almost pleased, “Looks like we gotta volunteer!” _

_ He grabbed a fistfull of Mitsuo’s hair, and dragged him into the next room. The modified Monokuma locked the door to the stairs, and followed Shun. The door slammed. There was a scream. Light flashed from under the door. _

_ Calamity ensued. We huddled together helplessly. Screams and jabbers filled the room. We couldn’t even hold each other. _

_ I buried my face in the crook of Joben’s neck, “What’s going on?” _

_ I could tell by his face that he knew. He swallowed and whispered, “Sen, no matter what happens… I will remember you, okay?” He looked me in the eye, “Even if I don’t, I will. I’ll… I’ll know that I trust you. That I love you. That I want you to be safe, okay?” _

_ I was sobbing. He couldn’t wipe my tears. _

_ “We will make it out of this okay. We just need to remember each other.” _

_ “I c-can’t forget you! Y-you’re you. I- I- What’s going on?” _

_ “The Future Foundation wiping tech is pretty heavy duty. That’s how they cleansed the Monokuma Kids and Followers of Junko Enoshima,” he told me, “But people’s personalities remain in tact. Their feelings… And we’re gonna be okay.” _

_ I pressed my body against his. I was unconsolable. _

_ I didn’t understand anything. _

_ The door swung open. Mitsuo was being guided away by the unit. Narumi shouted, “Mitsuo! Mitsuo, it’s me!” _

_ He didn’t flinch. He just kept walking with it. _

_ Shun grabbed her next. Her scream was unforgettable. Joben slowly, secretly dragged us to the back of the crowd, hoping that we could spend our last minutes at least by each other’s sides. _

_ The crowd thinned. Some people put up a fight. Gon charged Shun when he went to grab Haruka. Haruka screamed when Shun put the barrel of the gun in Gon’s mouth. Some people went quietly. Noboru watched the door open, and he looked into Shun’s eyes and said, “My turn? Okay.” And walked forward. _

_ When Joben was grabbed, I pushed in front of him. Shun shoved me back. Joben tried to diffuse the fight. He said that he’d go calmly. Shun laughed and pat his shoulder. _

_ Hearing my husband scream was like nothing I’d ever felt before. I could feel my system breaking down. It wasn’t like the pain he felt when his parents bodies were found after The Event. It wasn’t the fear he displayed when he found out I was stuck in an elevator after an earthquake. It wasn’t lessened by courtesy. It was guttural, and bellowing. He was in true pain. _

_ When the door opened, I ran in. I couldn’t bear the selection anymore, and I wanted to see my husband one more time. _

_ “Joben! Joben!” I shouted, as Shun held me back, “Joben, please.” _

_ I wish I could say that he perked up, or experienced something, but he didn’t. He didn’t hear me. _

_ Shun forced me into the pod, locked it, and began at his computer. The last thing I saw was a background image of Junko Enoshima, before white, hot, pain coursed through my veins. _

_ When we were finished, I remember I wasn’t myself. I was inside myself, beside myself, watching me be guided by a little grey bear, up an elevator, though a room, to my cabin, where she dressed me out of my clothes, and instructed what I was to wear while at camp: Jeans, a camisole, a cardigan, and sneakers. It looked like something I’d wear in high school. _

_ She tucked me into bed, as only a mother could, and I fell asleep. _

_ When I woke up, that was my first day at camp despair. _

 

“Where’s Machiko?” Oda screamed, “And Clara? What did you do with them?”

I was on the floor. In and out of consciousness.

“Oh god, how will I tell Daichi and Sakai?” Gon was covering his mouth. He dropped the flare.

“I can’t- I can’t do anything without them,” Oda whispered, “They’re all I have left.”

“How do I tell them their mother is dead?” Gon sobbed.

They went grey in the face, spiraling into fits of despair.

I couldn’t offer hope. I wasn’t like Naegi. I wasn’t one that brought hope. I was dying.

The pain of the gunshot… It was like no other. I’d been cut and stabbed and pushed around at camp, but I actually feared death in this moment.

“You killed Narumi,” I coughed.

Shun, admiring his work, snapped out and looked down at me.

“What?”

“You killed Narumi,” I repeated.

“And you, if you’re willing to be patient… What of it?” He crossed his arms.

“D-Don’t you hate it,” I coughed, “When they confess before the trial is over?”

He paused a moment, and then laughed, “We’re not in a trial.”

“We… presented evidence, and reached a culprit,” I said, trying to sit up. I couldn’t.

“Sure, but… If it’s voting time, it’s my vote against yours. These two have already succumb to despair,” he made a cocky glance at me, before imitating Monokuma’s voice, “Alright, time’s up! Time to commence a vote! Point at who you think is the guilty party!”

“Oda, Gon!” I managed, “Please, fuck,” I held the wound at my stomach.

“I’m nothing without them… I can’t go on without them…” Oda whispered to herself. She was bleeding profusely. We’d both been shot.

“O-Oda… You got a text message,” I weakly pointed at her phone, “ Open it up.”

Oda stopped to look at me for a moment, and then shakily opened her phone. The text was from her wife. There were hundreds of them.

“She needs you to remain hopeful,” I said.

Tears swarmed Oda’s eyes, and she looked at Gon.

“Gon!”

Gon looked up at her, his hands still over his mouth.

“They might not have their mother, but they need their father. And they need their father to tell stories of their mom. To have memories of their mom. To still love and remember their mom. You can do that, can’t you?”

Gon was crying, but a nod came out of him.

With the last bit of my strength, I pointed to Shun. Confidently, and with their futures in their hands, Gon and Oda did as well.

Shun pointed at me.

“That’s three against one, asshole,” Oda said, “You were found guilty of the crimes committed. Majority vote was correct.”

“And what now?” Shun looked at us and laughed. “Are you gonna punish me?”

“No, you’re gonna punish you,” Gon said, “Because if you’re the true male counterpart to Junko Enoshima, you’ll follow her rules all the way to the end.”

“That’s where she was flawed,” a finger grazed his mouth, “My beautiful angel… She followed her own rules to the grave. She never learned… Some rules are made to be broken.”

“She followed her code because it made the game interesting. Even she was vulnerable. If you’re not going to commit yourself to the same amount of vulnerability, then you’re cheating,” Oda said, “And Junko thought cheating was despairingly boring.”

“Oh did she?” Shun laughed, “She thought cheating was boring… Then why did she cheat on me?”

“What?”

“That bitch preached despair like a fucking goddess. All of her plans came out as I ran my fingers through her gorgeous silky locks… When I scratched at her scalp, she purred out her plans of world domination. I’d like to think of myself as her first disciple-”

We were all thoroughly disgusted.

“And then she slowly stopped coming. She weaned away from me. I was the one who gave her the iconic pigtails! She didn’t give into my touch any longer… She started… Seeing someone else behind my back. But- But how could there be any stylist better than me? I don’t understand!”

We all let out a sigh of relief.

“So I’m showing the love of my life that I can do everything she told me about. I can do it, and I can do it better.”

“But you still lost,” Oda said, “Give it up and you can die just like her!”

Shun, Oda, and Gon remained arguing. Shun flaunted his gun as an intimidation tactic, but the two of them remained unmoved. Shun shot the flare, hoping that they’d return to despair, but they remained standing there, arguing that the trial is over.

The trial was over. We voted. We won.

_ Let’s give it everything we got _ .

The fire lit the hills around us orange. My tunnel vision didn’t do me any good.

Iron filled my mouth. Every bit of strength I had in me was slowly bleeding out of my abdomen. My hand moved across the ground, until my fingers met exactly what I needed.

I didn’t care that I was going to die anymore. As long as Gon and Oda ran free.

“ _ It’s punishment time _ ,” I whispered, and used my last two bullets on Shun. I hit his chest, and his head. A good shot.

He fell to the floor in a matter of seconds.

And then, I released, the last thing I heard was the voices of my friends running to my aide.

“ _ Sen! No! _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're gettin closer and closer my dudes!


	40. Chapter Six: The Sweet Kiss of Despair (PART VIII)

“My god, my god,” his hand ran through my hair, “Sen, look at you.”

My eyes opened. A hand caressed my face. There, in front of me, was Joben. My husband, my best friend, the love of my life.

“Wh-  _ Joben _ ,” I was crying. His thumb grazed my cheek.

“I’m so proud of you,” he said, “Look at you, fighter.”

I huffed a cry, “You didn’t think I had it in me, did you?”

His hands held my face, “No, Sen. I  _ knew _ exactly what you were capable of. I knew you were the hero of this story.”

I openly sobbed. He held me close.

“You fought so hard. You saved them.”

“I couldn’t save-”

“Ah, shhh, you saved who you could. This whole thing was out of your control. And I am so proud to be your husband.”

I smiled through tears.

“But… Mitsuo?  _ Mitsuo? _ ” He teased, “You sure know how to pick them.”

“You were so  _ mean _ to Ami, and  _ everyone _ ,” I laughed through tears, “What the hell was that about?”

He shook his head cluelessly. He showered me with a myriad of kisses. I knew I was dead, but I was okay with it.

I finally felt warmth.

I felt hope.

I buried my face in the crook of his neck. He smelled exactly like I remembered my husband to smell, even when I forgot him.

I couldn’t believe I forgot him.

He held me tight for a moment more, and then looked me in the eye. There was hesitation in his eyes, and then fear.

“What?” I asked, but he only responded with upset.

“No, it’s not fair!” His fingers held my forearms tight, “No! Absolutely not! You belong here! You belong with me!”

“What?” I panicked, but I could feel his grip on me loosen, “What’s going on?”

“No, no, please Sen. I need you…  _ please _ .”

I tried to hold on. A thump, a heartbeat, and I was alive.

The world was black, and I was asleep.

 

I was told I flatlined for quite some time, but they had only the best surgeons and doctors at my side- they were ex-ultimate students. The ones that survived The Event, that is. An AED was used to jumpstart my heart, and then I was put into an induced coma to ensure that no more damage could be done.

We were saved by two six members of Future Foundation Canada, and one member of the original Future Foundation. I was airlifted to their base in British Columbia where my surgery was done. My friends were kept in cells, and questioned about the murders of Narumi Ikeda and Shun Nishimura.

When my eyes opened, a familiar face sat at the foot of my bed. It was Oda. She was staring me straight in the face. My eyes blinked open and closed for a moment, and then I said, “W- W-”

“Sen!” She lunged by my side, “What happened? Where are you? Water?”

I nodded at the third option. She placed the paper cup against my lips.

It took me a moment to get myself back together, with the help of my doctor. The doctor explained what had happened to me: a bullet through the abdomen, grazed my spine. It severed nerves there, rendering the connection between my legs and my brain useless. The doctor said I was lucky I wasn’t dead. I was lucky I was able to be conscious through the searing pain. I was lucky so have saved my friends. I was lucky.

I sobbed for hours. Oda sat by my legs and held me. I couldn’t feel her there. 

The doctor left she and I alone for a long while; she filled me in on how long I was out: five days. She told me about the evidence they found against Shun, including the school bus with the decomposing driver still inside. There were records of him checking “dangerous” Monokuma units out in Towa City for immediate destruction. It was really him hoarding them, rewriting their software, and controlling them. The  _ home _ elevator did indeed go to his room. The only reason it was jammed for me is he put his mattress above the trap door. The camp was able to be saved from being engulfed by the fire, and they were able to set us free with the evidence collected there. I had a hearing for my self-defense, but it was scheduled six months from my awakening, probably likely to be thrown out.

Gon visited too. He talked about what they did with the bodies of our fallen friends- proper burials for the ones left. True recognition as survivors of a despair that only the founders and members of the foundation had experienced, and pardons for those who did what they thought they had to to survive.

Their explanations took hours. I,selfishly, could only think of my legs. And then I remembered, there were bigger things than I.

“Wha- What about Machiko? And Daichi and Sakai?” I asked, “Are they okay?”

“We actually… haven’t seen them,” there was a shake in Gon’s voice, “The Canadian Branch won’t release us to the home branch until they’ve completely gotten all sides of the stories.”

“So what? They won’t release you guys until they’ve gotten my word?”

Oda shook her head, “And they can get your word in the morning. I know you might feel a little restless, but, as much as I want to see my family, you need your rest.” Her hand smoothed my hair back, and petted my forehead. She stood, and kissed me on the forehead and said, “Goodnight. Hopefully we’ll all be home to our families by tomorrow night.”

I cracked a smile, nodding along.

Gon watched her leave and stayed a minute longer.

“Sen, I-” he took a sharp breath in, “I’m glad you’re okay. After everything… I couldn’t lose you too.”

“I’m glad there were survivors,” I managed, “I wish-”

“Just leave it at I’m glad there were survivors,” he put his hand against my cheek, and kissed my opposite cheek, “Get some rest.”

It was hard to sleep knowing I kept my friends away from their comfort, but it was easy to sleep with so many drugs in my system.

I dreamt about my husband. I wanted his warm hold again. It’d have to wait.

When the members of the International Future Foundation approached me after my soggy breakfast in bed, I unloaded on them. I told them everything. Anything they asked, I went into excruciating detail on. I needed them to know I was a victim, not the mastermind. I even cried remembering. The interrogation took hours. When they left, they said they would have to talk it over before they released my friends and I, despite knowing who really did it.

The next morning, we were released.

It was cute, seeing Oda and Gon scramble into uniforms provided by the Future Foundation just to get there all the faster. Oda was even wearing a nice mascara to look better for when she reunited with her loving wife. They were excited to see their families. It filled me with an acute sense of loneliness.

My parents were killed in The Event. A building was bombed. My father’s leg was broken. My mother couldn’t carry him out. They died together in there. I remember when I found out- I was at work, working to prevent this sort of despair. I broke down crying in the office.

My uncle and his wife moved to northern Japan, hoping to escape the gangs of despair when Junko created The Event. They were murdered in the street.

Joben’s parents died in The Event as well. Many people were swept into the chaos.

My husband, Joben Suzuki, was stabbed to death by my best friend, Cho Kakawa. Cho Kakawa was boiled alive as a victim of the game.

Gon pushed my wheelchair, like I did his seemingly forever ago. We went down a hallway, where, at the end, there was an automatic glass door. When the door opened, seven figures stood there.

Oda kicked off her loaned heels, and took off running toward her wife and daughter. She held both of them in her arms, and her wife kept touching her face, and staring at her. Her daughter, at just two years old, was pulling her red hair.

Gon’s pace picked up, but he still pushed my chair. I said, “Gon, it’s okay.”

He made a huff of thanks, and ran toward his kids, who were accompanied by their aunt, Haruka’s sister. He collapsed, his hands on the back of their heads as they openly sobbed into his arms. They were children, at just five and seven, but they knew true grief. He kissed them, smelled their heads, basked in the fact that even after everything, his children were okay. Haruka’s sister fell to the floor, hugging Gon as well.

I had nothing at the end of that hallway, so I wheeled myself slowly. I didn’t belong to their celebration of life. All I could think about was my incessant loss. Over and over again, friends, parents, lovers… I lost everyone. Gon and Oda were everything I had. It felt weird that the only things in my life had other things to look forward to. I watched them with a heavy feeling in my heart.

But the other two figures approached me: Kyoko Kirigiri and Makoto Naegi.

“Sen Suzuki?” Kyoko came forward.

“Uh, yeah, that’s me,” my brain was fuzzy. I remembered her as Kyoko, of course. I just didn’t know why she was there.

Maybe to congratulate me on the fact that survived a killing game just like she did.

And then it hit me. She was probably here to arrest me.

“Am I going to jail?” I asked, rather bluntly.

“Wh- No!” Makoto added in, “That- No. We understand-”

“Then why are you here?” I squinted slightly, “With all due respect, headmaster, don’t you have a school to run? Children to protect from the same fate we just suffered?”

“Ah,” he looked a little disheartened, “Yes. I came here to see you personally, though.”

“We wanted to talk to you about your place in the Future Foundation as it stands,” Kirigiri tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

It was strange to see how cool she was at the surface. She survived two killing games. There was evidence of it written about her face: the waterline of her right eye was scarred, it grew no eyelashes, from where she was poisoned and the eye filled with blood. I remember her confessing to me in the break room that her vision is permanently scarred, despite the best efforts of the doctors of Hope’s Peak. At the sides of her calm eyes were signs of stress. She held it all inside, unlike me. Her mouth was a thin, pursed line, and she treated it as if it would ruin her reputation to relax.

I swallowed, “I understand if me bringing harm to another member of the future foundation affects the reputation of the peace bringing company-”

“No, that’s not it,” she said, “We’re not firing you.”

“You’re not?”

“No!” Makoto chimed in, “That would be ludicrous! We’re actually looking to… promote you… If you’re willing, that is.”

“A promotion? But Towa City is cleaned up. You don’t want me to be a board president, do you?” The idea of me being the boss of my peers slightly scared me.

“No!” Makoto said, “I mean, while that would be great… Hope’s Peak has an opening for-”

“Sen!” Clara shouted out, trotting toward me. I didn’t know Clara very well. I was an officiant at her and Oda’s wedding, but… as strange as it was, I wasn’t that close to Oda before all this, “Thank God for you Sen!”

Makoto looked at Kirigiri, who gave him a look of  _ Not now. _ They walked away from the crowd that accumulated at me, giving me thanks for, what felt like, the only option.

Haruka’s sister, Oda’s wife, and all three kids were telling me I was wonderful, incredible, I was hope in a time of despair. Gon and Oda just watched, proud of me. It was an outpour of love that I wasn’t sure I deserved. I cried nonetheless. 

I think I knew what Makoto and Kyoko wanted from me. I didn’t know if I could accept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys...  
> So  
> This is the end.  
> The epilogue is coming. Pretty much, the end is Sen, Oda, and Gon are safe- What happens thereafter is said in the epilogue.
> 
> I love you all, thank you for this wonderful adventure!


	41. Epilogue

Of course I said yes.

I had nothing left.

I used a pen to write my name big across the piece of paper, then adjusted it under the camera so it projected clearly on the screen mounted on the wall. I cleared my throat, and settled my hands into my lap. They were shaking.

I heard the door creak, and a slight gasp escaped my mouth, “Ah, early bird-”

“It’s just me,” Gon’s voice said. He entered the room holding flowers in a vase, “to liven up the room?”

“Ah, very nice, thank you.”

“I saw Miss Kirigiri. She told me to tell you to not be so nervous. It’s going to be okay,” he pushed up his glasses, “So, Sen Suzuki… Homeroom. How’s that feel?”

There was a frog in my throat. I couldn’t decide if it was good or bad, “Scary.”

He leaned against my desk.

“You’ve faced worse.” A slight smile came from him. Gon took time off to get used to being a single father. He missed his practice, I could tell, but he loved his kids more.

“ _ We _ have, yeah,” I said. I was quiet for a moment, “Hear from Oda?”

“Yeah, actually…” There was a pause. He looked at me with a slight frown.

Connection with Oda went a little MIA for a while. She went back home with her wife and daughter. Clara forced Oda to quit the foundation, keeping her away from any possibility of abduction again. With Oda living in Canada, she was hard to reach.

“She’s moving?”

“Moving? Where, out of Clara’s?” Panic immediately struck me. I feared divorce.

“No, together,” he opened his phone, “Check out the listing. It’s a pretty nice place.”

I looked at the phone. The house was a beautiful home, in a city about twenty minutes from Hope’s Peak. I looked at him, “No... What about Canada? What?”

“Yes,” Gon nodded, “No chance of her working here, but… Oda let Clara know how important it was for her to be near her family. And Clara agreed that we’re… well after everything that we’ve been through… You know-”

“It is nice to be near my family,” I smiled at Gon, whose hand grazed mine.

Gon and Oda, they were my family, and I’m glad they felt the same.

The door creaked, and a wide eyed student walked in, “Oh! I’m sorry… Did I- erm… Is this Sen Suzuki’s classroom?”

Gon’s hand pulled back, and he gave me a slight bow, “See you around Sen. Good luck, and remember what Kyoko said.”

I smiled back, then looked at the student, “Yes, I am Mrs. Suzuki.” I wheeled myself out from behind the desk, “What might your name be?”

He smiled. He looked exactly as we all did on our first day at Hope’s Peak. Bright eyed, excited for life their new lives to begin. His hair was fluffy, and bright orange, much like Cho’s was. He had thin glasses, and brown eyes. There was a pocket watch tucked into his school uniform pocket.

“Ah, I’m-” he paused, looking excited to say what he was about to say, “I’m Tsukune Tagawa, Super High School Level Watchmaker.”

I smiled, remembering the talent on my roll sheet, “Nice to meet you Mr. Tagawa. I’m looking forward to our year together. Take any seat you like.”

He sat in the front middle. It was where Gon sat in our classroom.

Slowly, my students filed in, until all sixteen were there. 

And then, I introduced myself.

“Good morning class. I’m Mrs. Suzuki, former Super High School Level Solemniser. I graduated from the seventy-second class, and was the representative for Class-A. I joined the Future Foundation when The Tragedy struck, and I worked there until I was offered a job-” I paused. I didn’t know why I felt the need to lie to these students. My torture was televised. If they didn’t know, someone would tell them soon enough. I’d rather it be me. I continued, “I worked with the Future Foundation until my graduating glass and I were kidnapped by Shun Nishimura, a follower of Junko Enoshima. We were put through a killing game, not unlike our headmaster Makoto Naegi. The killing came lasted weeks, started with sixteen students, and I came out as one of three survivors. I was hired as a teacher because of my unwillingness to let go of hope. I believe that every student, no matter their talent or lack thereof, deserves a bright and hopeful future. And I will try to the best of my ability to ensure it for you kids. Are there any questions?”

A delinquent looking boy with his feet up on his desk raised his hand slightly before speaking, “Is it true that you were the one to kill the guy?”

I didn’t know how to answer. I was a little annoyed that he would even be so brave as to ask the question. I looked down at the roll sheet: Jo Okimoto, the Super High School Level Birder.

I took a deep breath, and stopped my hands from shaking at the thought of me taking another human being's life.

“Well, Jo, the funny thing about spending an entire school year with someone is… you get to know them. Maybe if you’re present for class and you participate in the school year, you’ll get to learn more about me. Now, could you take your feet off the desk?”

He looked a little surprised, then sat up in his seat.

“Now, is everyone ready for introductions?” I clasped my hands together and looked at my sixteen students. They were just like me some time ago… Nervous, excited, _hopeful_.

And I’d be damned if I was going to let anything happen to that hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is the end  
> Guys, I'm so BEYOND thankful to everyone that picked up this story. Even if you didn't make it to the end, and aren't reading this message, you are so, so loved.  
> I never thought I'd reach this point. I didn't think I'd make a fangan, let alone finish one clocking in at this many words. I'm so thankful to everyone that followed the story, predicted some things, made guesses at characters... It all made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside.
> 
> I will never stop appreciating each and every one of you.  
> Thank you so much.

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably update once a week, I'm a few chapters ahead as of now, so I think updates will go smoothly!!! If you have anyone in mind for Free Time Events, please, please let me know!!!  
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading!!! Have a wonderful day!


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